Out of Slavery: Identifying and Working with Victims of Human Trafficking
with Katie Resendiz & Chris Aamodt
Saturday, May 31 at 3:15 pm
Keli B. Luther, J.D. is currently the executive director and lead counsel for the Crime Victims Legal Assistance Project (CVLAP) in Tempe, Arizona. CVLAP is the first direct representation legal clinic for crime victims in the United States. It is the mission of CVLAP to vigorously advocate for the protection and enforcement of a crime victim’s constitutional rights in court. Formed in 2001, CVLAP is comprised of staff attorneys, Arizona State University College of Law students and volunteer attorneys who represent crime victims pro bono during all criminal proceedings. Ms. Luther began her work at CVLAP as a volunteer. She was later hired permanently as the project’s staff attorney. Within the scope of her position, Ms. Luther has represented crime victims throughout the criminal justice process including advocating at both the trial and appellate level, including the United States and Arizona Supreme Court. She has also researched, drafted and argued motions resulting in key victims’ rights victories involving constitutional issues as right to be heard, speedy trial, evidentiary disclosure issues such as victim privacy and victim impact statements. Ms. Luther drafted the United States Supreme Court amicus curiae brief on behalf of all crime victims in Ring v. State of Arizona. Prior to Ms. Luther’s constitutional work with crime victims, she practiced in the area of corporate and constitutional law litigation in Washington, D.C. before returning home to Arizona in late 2001.
