The Joseph Project is a nonprofit organization that connects human trafficking survivors with pro bono legal services. It is inspired by the Biblical account of history’s earliest recorded survivor, who transitioned from exploitation to empowerment (Genesis 37-50).
The Issue
Human Trafficking
Human trafficking is a form of modern-day slavery. It’s a crime perpetrated by those who commercially exploit others for sex and labor services through force, fraud, or coercion. Each year, thousands of human trafficking cases are reported across the United States. The eventual outcome of each case varies. Some survivors are placed in residential care facilities; others enter rehab; still others return to the streets.
The Problem
The Justice Gap
Trafficking survivors often face legal obstacles that arise from their exploitative circumstances, including criminal record impediments, family law obstacles, and immigration challenges. The problem is that these survivors do not have the knowledge or the financial means to secure skilled legal representation. Known as the Justice Gap, this inability to secure legal assistance often impedes survivors from moving toward a better future.
The Solution
Legal First Responders
Closing the Justice Gap for trafficking survivors requires the creation of a broad network of Legal First Responders – an army of attorneys who are committed and equipped to service their legal needs at no cost.
The vision
A National Justice Delivery System
The Joseph Project was created to close the Justice Gap for human trafficking survivors by assembling a national network of Legal First Responders to service their legal needs on a pro bono basis.