CEASE continued its commitment to providing high quality and trauma-informed advocacy for survivors of child sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking during the 2024 fiscal year. The clinic provided direct legal services to more than 55 survivors across 17 counties in Georgia, 13 of which were rural or legally underserved areas. Dozens more survivors received indirect services through the clinic’s partnerships with law firms, child advocacy centers and other agencies across the state and nationwide.
As part of CEASE’s commitment to preparing the next generation of advocates for survivors, the clinic enrolled 18 students for course credit who provided more than 2,800 hours of volunteer service. Additionally, the clinic hosted 2 students from Georgia’s School of Social Work who provided more than 1,200 volunteer hours of service, as well as 3 paid interns (two legal and one social work) who worked nearly 1,400 additional hours on behalf of survivors.
CEASE continued to serve as a research and policy hub, helping to improve policies, laws, and legal services and access to justice for all survivors. CEASE Clinic Director Emma Hetherington and Staff Attorney Brian Atkinson both testified before the U.S. Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Human Rights and the Law regarding the human rights of children in foster care. Hetherington and Atkinson also provided testimony before the Georgia General Assembly on proposed legislation regarding children in foster care and post-conviction relief for survivors of trafficking.
Since its inception in 2016, the CEASE Clinic has been able to provide and increase access to justice for more than 250 survivors as a result of the generous support of 1986 Georgia Law alumnus and Board of Visitor Chair Marlan Wilbanks, as well as grant support through Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council.