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

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 countries¹. However, multiple estimates of the scope and magnitude of modern-day slavery, some as high as 27 million slaves worldwide².

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 on 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.