Posted: September 12th, 2016 | By: Sarah Saint (JD ‘17)
John Richmond (JD ’98), the co-founder of the Human Trafficking Institute, has teamed up with the Wake Forest Law Review to present, “Combatting Human Trafficking: Current Trends and Cutting Edge Issues,” on Friday, Oct. 28, in the Worrell Professional Center. The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will run from 8:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. in Room 1312 with a reception to follow. The North Carolina Bar has approved the symposium for 5.5 hours of CLE credit.
Considered one of the fastest-growing criminal industries in the world, human trafficking is an issue that demands discussion, according to Symposium Editors Kyleigh Feehs (JD ‘17) and Sarah Saint (JD ‘17). Annual profits from human trafficking are estimated to be more than $150 billion per year, which is more than the annual profits of Microsoft, Exxon, Apple, BP and Samsung combined.
By bringing together academics to practitioners to victims to students, the law school can make a significant contribution in advancing the human trafficking conversation, Feehs says.
Richmond adds, “We need more intelligent and thoughtful conversations about human trafficking from many different perspectives. There is a lot more to this problem and crime than what people usually think.”
This symposium will bring together diverse voices to explore the complexities of combatting both labor and sex trafficking. Presenters will examine how to protect trafficking victims, how to strengthen public justice systems, how to promote accountability in corporate supply chains, and how immigration reform will impact human trafficking. A human-trafficking survivor will speak during lunch.
The ultimate goal of the Human Trafficking Institute is to decimate modern slavery at its source by empowering police and prosecutors to stop traffickers. “We need awareness-raising campaigns and shelters. But, the Institute’s focus is stopping the traffickers from exploiting more people — a critical component of this movement,” he says.
In addition to working with governments around the world to improve the ability to stop traffickers, rescue victims and reduce the prevalence of trafficking, Richmond also hopes to develop a global information hub about trafficking that is evidence-based, independent and reliable.
Stopping trafficking, however, is slow work and the path to success remains unclear. “Failure is real and has consequences. There are no quick fixes or silver bullets. These things are a struggle. That’s what makes them meaningful,” adds Richmond, who hopes the symposium will spur others to get personally involved in trying to help solve some of the issues.
Learn more about Richmond and his work at http://go.wfu.edu/kff and the symposium at http://go.wfu.edu/mt8
Symposium speakers include:
John Richmond (JD ‘98), Human Trafficking Institute
Prior to his time with HTI, he was a federal prosecutor with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in its Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit for over ten years.
Lindsey Roberson, McGuireWoods LLP
Joined McGuireWoods in 2015 after more than three years with the New Hanover County District Attorney’s office, where she prosecuted special victim cases, including human trafficking, commercial exploitation and other crimes against women and children.
Sarah Byrne, Moore & Van Allen
Serves as Ethics and Compliance Counsel to Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte, North Carolina, advising matters of legal ethics and professional risk.
Alexandra Levy, University of Notre Dame; Human Trafficking Pro Bono Legal Center
Teaches Human Trafficking law at the University of Notre Dame.
Christine Raino, Shared Hope International
Serves as the Director of Public Policy for Shared Hope International.
Victor Boutros, Human Trafficking Institute
Founding Director of the Human Trafficking Institute and co-authored the 2014 book, The Locust Effect: Ending Poverty Requires the End of Violence.
Steve Hitov, Coalition of Immokalee Workers
Has served 20 years as the General Counsel of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers (CIW), a Florida-based human rights organization devoted to community education and leadership development among farmworkers.
Judge Joseph Colquitt, University of Alabama
Professor of Law and Director of Trial Advocacy at the University of Alabama School of Law
Donna Hughes, University of Rhode Island
Professor in Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Rhode Island and a leading international researcher on human trafficking.
Sienna Baskin, Independent Consultant; former Co-Director of Sex Workers Project
Currently independent consultant in the sex trafficking field, and was formerly the Co-Director of the Sex Workers Project at the Urban Justice Center in Manhattan.
