In this article published by Law360, Allyson Fortier and Nancy Lynn Schroeder share their takeaways from representing two victim-witnesses in a trial of a man indicted in 2009 under a federal criminal statute related to sex trafficking.

During the course of a criminal case, victims often go unrepresented. In many instances, this lack of representation suits all parties: The victim is able to have a limited role in the case, and the government is free to make its case with unrestrained access to the victim without input from the victim's advocate. In certain cases, however, providing legal representation can empower the victim and give him or her a voice in proceedings that are otherwise constitutionally focused on the rights of the accused. Read the full article