In May 2018, a federal judge in Kansas awarded Kendra Ross, a human trafficking survivor, almost $8 million in her lawsuit against a cult and its leader. It is the largest known civil single-plaintiff human trafficking award in American history.
Elizabeth “Betsy” Hutson, LAW JD ’13, led a team from McGuireWoods that represented Ross pro bono. Hutson spoke to us about her journey to law school, how she became involved with anti-human trafficking work, and her experience working with Ross.
Hutson came to the George Washington University Law School after earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia. “I started thinking about law school in high school government class,” she said. Her pre-law classes in college strengthened her interest in law school, and it was during college that she became aware of human trafficking.
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 establishes and defines human trafficking and related offenses as federal crimes, and The Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003 established a federal, civil right of action for trafficking victims to sue their traffickers. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. Hutson recommends visiting the Human Trafficking Legal Center and the Human Trafficking Institute for more information.
Before law school, Hutson worked as a program assistant at International Justice Mission. “I worked with lawyers who came from government and big law, and were now dedicating their careers to serve the people most in need around the world. Hearing about their career trajectories and seeing what being a lawyer actually looked like on a daily basis confirmed my desire to go to law school,” she said.
Hutson said her externship experiences at GW Law helped shape her desire to engage in anti-human trafficking work. She spent her rising 2L summer as a policy fellow at the Polaris Project and her 3L spring as an intern at the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit. “Both of those opportunities solidified my desire to work in this field,” she said.
Elizabeth Hutson and Kendra Ross
She says that working with Kendra Ross has been a memorable and impactful experience. Hutson describes Ross as strong and resilient.
“To see someone come out of being in a cult for 19 years and make the decision to fight back after dealing with very intense trauma, to stand up and say ‘I’m willing to dive headfirst and face this directly’ is incredible to witness.“
Hutson encourages students to take advantage of externship and internship opportunities. “One of the best things about going to law school in DC is that you have these wonderful opportunities to work with government agencies and nonprofits based here that you wouldn’t have going to law schools elsewhere.”
She also suggests investing in the experiences. “Ask questions of the attorneys that you’re working with. If they are taking a deposition, ask to go and sit in on the deposition. Or, if you help them prepare an outline for a hearing, ask to attend the hearing. Don’t be afraid to ask for those opportunities, because that’s where a lot of the learning happens.”
Hutson said students should be open to possibilities. “If you come to law school thinking ‘I’m going to be a public defender’ or ‘I’m going to be on a partner track at a law firm,’ don’t shy away from other opportunities that may cause you to think about your legal career in a slightly different way. I have been encouraged by how I have been able to do that. McGuireWoods has been hugely supportive of my pro bono work, and I’ve learned how to be a better litigator while working in the anti-human trafficking field.”
Hutson is an associate at in the Washington office of McGuireWoods.
This story originally appeared on law.gwu.edu.
