Grant to help combat human trafficking

Listen to this article

Statewide nonprofit law firm S.C. Legal Services has won a grant that will allow it to hire an attorney to represent survivors of human trafficking in South Carolina.

The fellowship from Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Equal Justice Works is for two years, from June until May 2020. The Crime Victims Justice Corps Legal Fellow will provide legal, outreach and education services.

Each year, Equal Justice Works, supported by the U.S. Department of Justice and private investors, funds hundreds of public interest attorneys.

In 2017, S.C. law enforcement reported 72 active cases of human trafficking in the state, according to an S.C. Legal Services news release.

“Most people think of slavery as a thing of the past, but it is not,” said Rusty Infinger, general counsel for S.C. Legal Services. “When right-minded prosecutors take down the men who are at the top of criminal enterprises, young girls and women are left physically scared, facing criminal charges themselves and are often on the hook for fraudulent financial deals. They need a personal lawyer, not just a public defender.”

Interested applicants can view the job posting online.