Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking

The Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking's (CAST) mission is to assist persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights abuses.

  • County(s) of Volunteer Opportunity: Los Angeles
  • Area of law: Family & Juvenile, Housing, Immigration & Naturalization, Public Benefits
  • Populations Served: Human Trafficking Survivors
  • Opportunities For: Law Students, Lawyers
  • Hours for Pro Bono Opportunities: Monday-Friday 9am-5pm
  • Malpractice insurance is provided for volunteers: No
  • Training Provided: Yes
  • Training Required: Yes
  • CLE credit for trainings: Yes
  • Training / Supervision Comments: Volunteer Attorney Schedule Type: 2-4 days a week, 6 month commitment or more required. Rolling applications considered. Additional Requirements: Must attend 7 hour Legal Services Training. Registration materials available at http://www.castla.org. Organizational Background: As the first organization in the country dedicated exclusively to serving survivors of human trafficking, the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (www.castla.org) assists persons trafficked for the purpose of forced labor and slavery-like practices and to work toward ending all instances of such human rights violations. CAST was established in 1998 in the wake of the El Monte sweatshop case where 72 Thai garment workers were kept for eight years in slavery and debt bondage. Following a community outcry for an organization to respond to surfacing cases of human trafficking, CAST was and remains one of a handful of providers nationally that provide comprehensive services to survivors of slavery and trafficking. CAST is amongst the few organizations that carry the mission of both serving victims while also conducting advocacy to promote change that will better protect victims and prevent future cases of trafficking. CAST serves a growing community of trafficking victims who are brought to the United States and suffer unspeakable violence at the hands of traffickers. They have an enormous array of needs, ranging from urgent medical and mental health services to complex legal issues. CAST has served hundreds of victims and their family members through both direct service delivery as well as technical consult to service providers across the country. CAST alone has secured nearly 100 T Visas for survivors of trafficking, constituting almost 1/6 of the total number of T Visas issued nationwide. Our accomplishments are due, in part, because CAST’s Client Services staff works closely together to partner with clients in setting goals, monitoring progress, advocating for access to services, and cooperating with law enforcement agencies to access long-term immigration benefits that keep victims safe from their traffickers.
  • CLE credit for pro bono: No
  • Mentoring or supervision offered: No
  • Volunteer lawyers need to meet a caseload or hours requirement: No
  • Other Case Load Requirements: 16/hours week 6 month commitment
  • Types of projects in need of Pro Bono help: Client counseling (e.g., brief advice), Client intake and screening, Draft legal documents (e.g., briefs), Legal Research, Legislative or policy advocacy
  • Volunteers may participate long-distance: No
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