CHILDREN AT RISK will launch the first Human Trafficking Summer Institute in 2009 for law students, who plan to practice in Texas, to be educated as ambassadors who will inform legal and law enforcement communities about human trafficking.  The Summer Institute will be an intensive 6-week summer program designed to increase awareness of human trafficking issues and promote further research and education in the area.

The program will include background information and training on human trafficking issues, involvement in local clinics, and site visits to other Texas cities where trafficking is prevalent. CHILDREN AT RISK is partnering with other local and statewide organizations, such as Catholic Charities, YMCA, the University of Houston Immigration Clinic, and the Houston Rescue & Restore Coalition, to offer students a wealth of resources and hands-on field experience.  Students will also be required to produce a document on the “State of Human Trafficking” in Texas and provide outreach to service providers, government entities, and victims.

By raising awareness among these sectors, victims will become more easily identified and, consequently, eligible for treatment.  If you know a law student (planning to practice in Texas) who is interested in becoming a human trafficking Fellow this summer, send their resume to jsolak@childrenatrisk.org.

CHILDREN AT RISK has been awarded $20,000 by the Texas Bar Foundation to found this program. Since its inception in 1965, the Texas Bar Foundation has awarded more than $9 million in grants to law-related programs.  Supported by members of the State Bar of Texas, the Texas Bar Foundation is the nation’s largest charitably-funded bar foundation.