Trauma-informed lawyering isn’t just compassionate—it’s essential for ethical, effective advocacy. This article outlines five key principles every attorney should know, including how trauma impacts client behavior, why client-centered approaches matter, and how to protect yourself from vicarious trauma. Practicing with greater awareness and intention helps attorneys build stronger relationships, achieve better outcomes, and create a legal system that supports, rather than retraumatizes, survivors.

Attorneys and law students working with trauma survivors are at high risk for vicarious trauma and compassion fatigue—emotional impacts that can erode wellbeing, judgment, and advocacy over time. This article breaks down what these challenges are, why legal professionals are especially vulnerable, how to spot the warning signs, and practical strategies for building resilience. Protecting your own mental health isn’t optional—it’s essential to sustaining a career rooted in justice and care.

Despite growing awareness, human trafficking remains widely misunderstood. This article debunks five of the most common myths—including the ideas that trafficking only happens overseas, always involves kidnapping, or only relates to sex—and highlights the complex realities survivors face. By challenging misconceptions and centering survivor experiences, we can create more trauma-informed, effective responses to trafficking.