Center for Global Justice

Another historic vacatur win.

Our client’s petition to vacate her felony conviction was granted in Virginia Beach—making her the 6th survivor to receive vacatur in Virginia history, and the first in Virginia Beach. 3L Regent Law Human Trafficking Clinic Student, Jenna Stanton, represented her with excellence during the hearing and is the first student in our Clinic to represent a Clinic client during a court proceeding.

Her story is one that stays with you. She didn’t always have the language to name what had happened to her. It wasn’t until she heard Patrick J. McKenna from Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking (Virginia Beach Justice Initiative, at the time) speak at her church that she realized: she had been trafficked.

During those years, she was arrested 177 times across the country. One hundred and seventy-seven times—and no one stopped to ask why.

Even after her exploitation ended, the consequences followed her. She couldn’t accompany her daughter on school field trips. She couldn’t fully advocate for herself without the fear of how she would be perceived if someone ran her record—the fear of not being believed all over again.

This week, after 26 years, her record was finally completely cleared.

In a courtroom that recognized her story, both the prosecutor and judge approached the case with deep trauma awareness. The judge even apologized for her suffering and acknowledged how the system had repeatedly failed her.

For decades, her record told a story that wasn’t true. The truth finally won.

She has spent years paving the way for others before ever considering herself. Now, it’s her turn. It’s an honor to stand by her side. The best is yet to come.

Regent University School of Law
Meg Kelsey
Lauryn Eason
Freekind - VA

Another historic win for trafficking survivors in VA! The vacatur law will expand again on July 1. Less than 2 years ago, only two charges were eligible for relief. Now, all nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors will be eligible for vacatur -- acknowledging the reality that survivors are forced to commit a variety of crimes during their exploitation and that they should not carry that burden for the rest of their lives.

Such incredible progress would not be possible without a big team and lots of collaboration. Thank you to Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking and Lindsey Grey and the entire legislative workgroup that drafted and tweaked the bill, those who lobbied, and every survivors who shared their lived experience. The progress of this legislation is a testament to what can happen when we work together instead of in silos.

Freekind - VA, , House Project, Babichenko, Meg Kelsey, Lauryn Eason, Webb, Feinmel, McKenna, Powers, Schuurman, Latisha's House Foundation, McCoy, and our Patrons, Delegate Delaney, and Senator Locke.

The Center for Global Justice at Regent University School of Law is celebrating landmark legislation expanding legal relief for survivors of human trafficking across Virginia, a measure the Center supported through advocacy, research, and student engagement during the legislative process.

Governor Abigail Spanberger signed the legislation, marking a significant step forward for survivors seeking to clear criminal records resulting from their exploitation.

Center for Global Justice Director Meg Kelsey co-chaired the legislative workgroup supporting the bill in collaboration with the Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking (VCAHT) and other partners. Faculty, staff, and students from Regent Law’s Human Trafficking Clinic also contributed, meeting with lawmakers in Richmond to share their firsthand experience working with survivors.

“This legislation reflects what we have learned through years of representing survivors,” said Kelsey. “Working directly with survivors, the gaps in the law become impossible to ignore. By continuing to show up in courtrooms, in Richmond, and alongside those rebuilding their lives, we’ve been able to help close those gaps and refine the law step by step. I am incredibly proud of the talented team of Regent Law students who have helped push this historic work forward.”

This legislation represents the latest step in an ongoing effort in which the Center for Global Justice has played a consistent role. Since Virginia first established a limited vacatur process in 2021, and following the launch of the Human Trafficking Clinic in 2023, the Center has represented survivors, secured the first successful vacatur petitions in the Commonwealth, and participated in successive legislative efforts to address gaps identified through direct client representation. As each legislative update took effect, the Center gained firsthand insight into remaining barriers and helped inform further improvements.

The new legislation takes effect July 1, 2026.

See comments for link to the full article!

Meet one of the largest classes of CGJ Students in Regent history! 👏🏻 Our students have worked hard this semester on research projects carrying imminent impact for our partners at IJM, the Network, Shared Hope, Advocates Africa, International Christian Concern, ADF, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Safe House Project, and the Human Trafficking Clinic here on campus.

Finals are approaching, but pretty soon, many of these same partners will be welcoming our CGJ students with open arms for their summer internships ☀️

We had such a great time seeing familiar faces and meeting new ones at the Norfolk and Portsmouth Bar Association event yesterday! Students joined the CGJ for tabling, networking, and CLE sessions throughout the day 👏🏻 Looking forward to the next one!

Don’t miss this spring’s Jeffersonian debate, co-hosted by Safe House Project. This years discussion will focus on the importance of early identification & childhood education, the intersection of foster care and human trafficking, and real implications when the system fails to protect those it is designed to serve.

Spread the word and RSVP below! This event is open to the general community.

RSVP at the link in bio!

The Center for Global Justice (CGJ) has several exciting updates on our policy work this session.

The 2026 vacatur expansion bill — SB 748 and its companion, HB 1298 — have passed unanimously out of subcommittee and are on track for crossover this week. If enacted, this legislation will expand criminal record relief for survivors of trafficking from a list of enumerated offenses to all non-violent felonies and misdemeanors. Director Meg Kelsey joined members of last week at General Assembly to support this legislation.

HB 191 has passed unanimously out of the House and is now in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This law would prohibit the criminalization of minors who engage in prostitution — acknowledging what we know to be true: there is no such thing as a child pr******te, and children cannot consent to commercial s*x.

HB 1233 and SB 329 increase fees for buyers of commercial s*x, demonstrating how seriously the Commonwealth takes exploitation and strengthening deterrence for those who fuel the demand.

Survivors should not carry criminal records for their exploitation. Their traffickers should.

This is what smart reform looks like: Relief for survivors AND accountability for exploiters.

The Center for Global Justice at Regent University School of Law, in partnership with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Tombras School of Advertising & Public Relations and survivor service organizations nationwide, is conducting groundbreaking research on survivor criminalization. 📊

📉 What makes this study different:
This survivor-centered research goes beyond counting arrests to examine what survivors are actually charged with and how those records impact their lives. While we know many survivors carry criminal records from trafficking-related offenses, existing research lacks the offense-level detail needed to design effective relief policies.

This study documents the full spectrum of charges survivors face—from prostitution to theft, drug possession, and beyond—and measures how these records create barriers to housing, employment, education, and stability.

🏛️Real-world impact:
The results will become peer-reviewed research, state-specific policy reports, model legislation, and advocacy tools.

This evidence will:
📜Support passage and equitable implementation of laws like the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act
🏛️Strengthen existing state vacatur and expungement statutes
📖 Equip survivors and their attorneys with data to prove coercion in individual court proceedings
⚖️ Provide the broader context judges need when survivors seek record relief
🧑‍⚖️ When a survivor stands before a judge seeking to clear their record, this research demonstrates their experience is part of documented patterns of coercion and criminalization—not isolated criminal behavior.

🎁How you can contribute:
A $100 donation compensates one survivor for completing a confidential survey about their criminal justice experience. Survivors are paid fairly for their time, expertise, and emotional labor. Your contribution transforms survivor experiences into the evidence needed for both systemic policy change and individual case advocacy.

We would like to thank our Advisory Board for their expertise and partnership in this important research: Justice Restoration Center (Brent Woody), Freekind - VA, Ranch Hands Rescue, Safe House Project, and Reset180.

Make your tax-deductible donation here and note that it is for the Survivor Survey Fund: https://give.regent.edu/donate/cgj-website-giving-form?segmentCode=CGJ&projectCodePreselect=LAWSETUP

✨ Another vacatur win — and a historic one ✨

This week, the Center for Global Justice celebrated the first successful petition under Virginia’s newly expanded vacatur law (2025).

The court cleared a felony off of our client’s record after finding it was a direct result of her trafficking — clearing a conviction that never should have existed.

What makes this even more powerful:
Our client, Olivia, was the first survivor in 2021 to have part of her record cleared under Virginia’s original vacatur law — a law she helped advocate to pass.

Now, she continues to pave the way as the first survivor to receive relief under the newly expanded law.

At Regent Law, we believe justice restores dignity. And survivors like Olivia remind us that courage can change the law — and change lives.

Very soon, we are launching a national survey to collect first-of-its-kind research on types of charges survivors have on their records as a result of their trafficking. This research will inform policy around the country. A $100 donation compensates one survivor for their participation in the survey.

Donate here: https://give.regent.edu/donate/law-center-for-global-justice?&segmentCode=JUL25LAWCGJ

On Wednesday, the Center for Global Justice and Human Trafficking Clinic Students attended the General Assembly alongside the Virginia Coalition Against Human Trafficking (VCAHT) for the first lobbying day of the year.

We began the morning in prayer and fellowship at the annual Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast before meeting with legislators to advocate for expanding Virginia’s vacatur statute to include nonviolent misdemeanor offenses—a critical step in removing barriers survivors face (like safe housing or stable employment) long after exploitation ends.

CGJ Director Meg Kelsey and Lindsey Gray of Safe House Project are co-chairing VCAHT’s Legislative Workgroup this year, bringing together prosecutors, public defenders, law enforcement, survivor leaders, and service providers from across the Commonwealth.

Our heart is this: Survivors should not carry criminal records for acts they were forced or coerced to commit.

We’re grateful for the partnership and momentum behind this survivor-centered reform!