The Justice At Last
Pro Bono Academy
ARE YOU AN ATTORNEY INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING?
Join Our Pro Bono Academy
TODAY
And Help Represent Survivors of Human Trafficking
Victims of Human Trafficking are often coerced into committing crimes by their traffickers, resulting in extensive criminal records that create barriers to employment, stable housing, and economic stability long after their exploitation ends. Although California Penal Code § 236.14 was established in 2017 as a comprehensive vacatur law to break the cycle of injustice that survivors face, lack of training and public awareness leaves the vacatur law under-utilized to provide tangible, life-altering legal relief.
Justice At Last created the Pro Bono Academy to help train attorneys interested in working with survivors of trafficking and to co-counsel with the Pro Bono attorneys to help clear trafficked persons’ criminal records.
“Giving back to those in need is the greatest gift we can give as lawyers. We are inspired by the survivors who Justice At Last advocates for and appreciate the opportunity to contribute to their fight to reclaim their independence and freedom.”
WHAT CAN PRO BONO ATTORNEYS DO?
After receiving Justice At Last’s California 90-minute MCLE certified training on the vacatur process and trauma-informed lawyering, Justice At Last will co-counsel with pro bono attorneys to provide an opportunity for those attorneys to advocate for accountability in the courtroom and help reform our criminal legal system.
Pro Bono Attorneys will represent a survivor of trafficking in post-conviction vacatur relief cases to erase the survivor’s criminal records and hold the legal system accountable for arresting the crime victim who should have been provided services instead of punishment.
If you would like to learn more about the Justice At Last Pro Bono Academy or schedule a training for your law firm, please email Leah Chen Price, Pro Bono Academy Coordinator, at leah@justiceatlast.org or click the appropriate button below.
“I am speechless. I’ve been waiting for this day for many years. If it wasn’t for Justice At Last letting me know about my rights as a survivor of trafficking, I wouldn’t be holding my head as high as I do today. I am so grateful for the representation and support from the incredible Justice At Last Team and the Pro Bono Attorneys who worked on clearing all my records. They never gave up on me and I was able to witness all their courtroom advocacy. Thanks to all my attorneys, I now have faith in the legal system, hope for my future, and hope for my family’s future too.”