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Academy Trains Newly Elected and Appointed Judges in Broward County

By January 21, 2019News

The John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy began the year with a specialized Judicial Training
on January 4, 2019, at the Broward County Courthouse entitled Judicial Considerations:  Human Trafficking.  The training served as part of the official orientation of the newly elected and appointed Judges of the 17th Judicial Circuit who began their service on the bench that week.  Also in attendance were more seasoned Judges, and Continuing Judicial Education credits were offered. Welcoming the collaboration, Professor Roza Pati, Founder and Director of the Academy wrote to participants that the Academy highly appreciates the fact that the 17th Judicial Circuit has chosen our institution to assist them in their work against human trafficking and that the Academy, as part of the LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, “takes pride in the quality of [its]service…in the Catholic intellectual tradition.” This project was made possible in cooperation with Judge and Law School Faculty Colleague, Michele Towbin Singer, and Judge Stacy Ross, who is instrumental in the 17th Circuit’s inaugural Human Trafficking Court being launched later this year.  The Academy also applauds Chief Judge Jack Tuter for supporting this worthy initiative.

The Judges heard opening remarks from the Academy’s managing director, Attorney Liza Smoker, followed by an in-depth training of human trafficking matters by Attorney Brenda Mezick, former Chief of Program Development & Public Policy for the Human Trafficking Unit in the Office of the State Attorney for Miami-Dade County, and Judge Stacy Ross, a champion against human trafficking in Broward County.  Human Trafficking Academy Graduate (2012), Judge Michael Davis, addressed the Judges and encouraged further training at the upcoming 2019 Summer Academy at St. Thomas University.  The training concluded with remarks by Academy Graduate Fellow, Tessa Juste, Candidate in the J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights.