Student Groups Host Human Trafficking Series

The University of Chicago Law School’s APALSA (Asian/Pacific-American Law Students Association) chapter, along with a coalition of other student groups, is organizing a weeklong series on Human Trafficking at the Law School. Tammy Wang, ’12, president of APALSA, said, “The overall goal of the program is to raise awareness and knowledge about this growing human rights and legal problem, and also, more importantly, to provide practical information on how we, as students and future attorneys, policymakers, and citizens can get involved and help the victims, both ex ante and ex post.”

On Monday, April 18, 2011, Prof. Mohamed Mattar, of the Georgetown Law Center and Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS (School of Advanced International Studies), delivered two lectures. The set of lectures was entitled, “Human Trafficking: Global Problems, Global Solutions.” The first, given during lunch, also featured Prof. Tom Ginsburg, and focused on the importance (and lack) of international state cooperation. The latter, given in the afternoon, covered Prof. Mattar’s research on the constitutional limitations and judicial application of various human trafficking statutes. Prof. Mattar also spoke of his experience testifying before the United Nations and looked to future developments. Prof. M. Todd Henderson, who teaches a Greenberg Seminar on “Evil Markets” at the Law School, served as moderator and discussant.

On Wednesday morning, UChicago Law’s traditional “Coffee Mess” will be temporarily transformed into the “Human Trafficking and Pro Bono Coffee Mess,” as local non-profit organizations involved in combating human trafficking visit the School’s Green Lounge to provide information on volunteer and pro bono opportunities.

On Thursday, Prof. Charlotte Walker, head of the Human Rights Department, will give a lunch lecture in Room V entitled, “Directing Traffic: The Migration Patterns and Consequences of Human Trafficking.” She will consider the impact of migration and criminal laws on sex trafficking—and vice versa—using in particular data and information from the EU, Turkey, and the Near East.

The series concludes Friday at lunch in Room V, when Prof. Maria Woltjen of the Law School’s Immigrant Child Advocacy Clinic and several of her students discuss their experiences over the past year, including work on a field report on human trafficking in China. This final talk is entitled, “Immigration, Asylum, and Sanctuary? A Case Study of Human Trafficking in China."

All events will take place at the Law School, 1111 E. 60th St., and are free and open to the public.

Student Group Sponsors: APALSA (Asian/Pacific-American Law Students Association), Christian Legal Society, Human Rights Law Society, National Lawyers’ Guild, Public Interest Law Society, Pan-Asian Students Association (School for Social Administration)

With Generous Funding from Jenner & Block; Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP; the Dean of Students’ Office; Student Government; and LSA.