Gawthrop Presents: John Rafferty on Screening for Victims of Labor Trafficking

Speaking at the first conference in the U.S. focused exclusively on labor trafficking, Gawthrop Greenwood attorney John Rafferty offered his insights about how victims can be identified in his presentation, “Falling Through the Cracks: When Screening For Victims of Labor Trafficking Goes Wrong.”

Catholic Charities of Louisville and the Southeast Regional Human Trafficking Advisory Group hosted the conference in Louisville from October 24-25, 2018. Notables from 28 different states came together to identify best practices around increasing the capacity of organizations that address labor trafficking, addressing trends specific to labor trafficking and highlighting challenges related to identifying and supporting victims of labor trafficking.

As a Fulbright scholar, John lived in Ecuador for 10 months, where he conducted field research on the scope of human trafficking. When he returned to the U.S., he fought for immigration benefits for victims of human trafficking with the Philadelphia non-profit law firm, Friends of Farmworkers. As a prosecutor in the District Attorney’s Office, John assisted in the investigation of a labor trafficking case in Chester County. John has also represented victims in civil suits to recover unpaid wages they are due.

John currently serves on the board of advisors for Villanova Law School’s Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation. He is also a member of the Chester County and Philadelphia Anti-Trafficking Coalitions and is joining the board of La Comunidad Hispana.

For more information or to book a workshop for your organization, contact John Rafferty at jrafferty@gawthrop.com or 610-696-8225.