Civil Remedies for Trafficking Victims

Victims of human trafficking have many civil legal needs, including the need to access the legal system for safety, to obtain or secure income and to address immigration-related issues. Victims of trafficking often have unique legal issues and distinct legal remedies available to them that are not necessarily available to victims of other crimes, such as access to specific visas, public benefits, or forms of remuneration. It is crucial that human trafficking victims are able to have access to justice through these distinct remedies.

About Us

We are a coalition of ABA partner entities working collaboratively to develop a sustainable set of resources for attorneys providing civil legal assistance to adult and child victims of trafficking. These resources include training and educational materials for attorneys to provide civil legal assistance to trafficking victims; a national training institute on how to provide civil legal assistance to victims of trafficking; a pro bono pilot project to expand the civil legal assistance to victims of trafficking; and a web-based resource center that provides access to technical assistance, training and educational resources for attorneys handling civil trafficking cases.

The ABA Enterprise Fund (the “Fund”) provides internal grants of seed money to fund innovative, collaborative efforts between ABA entities. In October 2006, the ABA Board of Governors established the Fund to provide collaborative grants to ABA entities for entrepreneurial projects that (1) advance the strategies identified in the ABA Strategic Plan; and (2) promote greater collaboration among the many entities that make up the ABA. Grant recipients are encouraged, but not required, to incorporate into their plans activities that create new products and services for members and increase the national and global effects of the ABA.

The Board created a committee (the “Fund Committee”) appointed by the President to administer the Fund and approved the allocation of funds. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis with any amounts not awarded in the current fiscal year returned to general revenue.

Grants are awarded only for new projects and activities. Support from the Fund will not adversely affect funding for ongoing projects and activities.

The National Leadership and Training for Civil Legal Assistance to Victims of Human Trafficking Project was funded in fiscal year 2007 for 12 months in the amount of $100,000 by the ABA Enterprise Fund.

Human trafficking is one of the most prevalent crimes today involving severe human rights violations. It is a contemporary form of slavery perpetrated by individuals and groups from organized crime rings to family members against women, men, and children of various ages and backgrounds. According to the U.S. State Department, an estimated 800,000 persons are trafficked each year across international boarders, not including the millions trafficked internally; 80% of these are women and 50% are minors. 18,000 to 20,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year, from as many as 48 countries.¹ However, multiple estimates of the scope and magnitude of modern-day slavery, some as high as 27 million slaves worldwide.²

Click here for links to useful websites.

Click here to visit our resources page.

• Commission on Domestic Violence
• Commission on Immigration
• Rule of Law Initiative
• Center for Pro Bono
• Youth at Risk Commission
• Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities
• Center for Human Rights

If you have training materials or resources which you would like posted on this website, or if you have a request for training in your area, please email our staff.