Smith Appointed Co-Chair of the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council Committee

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Annie Smith, professor of law and director of the Civil Litigation and Advocacy, and Human Trafficking clinics, has been selected to serve on the Arkansas Human Trafficking Council. Smith will also serve as the co-chair of the Training Subcommittee for the Council. "Professor Smith's humanity, passion, knowledge, collaboration and victim-centered approach makes her a core member of the council," said Sgt. Matthew Foster, Arkansas State Police Division, Arkansas Department of Public Safety, and Arkansas human trafficking coordinator.

The Arkansas Human Trafficking Council was established in 2023. The council is coordinated by the Arkansas State Police and will establish guidelines for victim-centered and coordinated approaches to identify victims of all types of human trafficking; investigate, refer and prosecute sex trafficking and labor trafficking cases at the local, state and federal levels; and address the individualized needs of victims through quality services.

"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to serve on the council and to collaborate with others across the state to address all forms of human trafficking in Arkansas," Smith said. In her role as co-chair of the Training Committee, Smith and fellow co-chair, Tusty ten Bensel, professor of criminal justice and associate dean at the University of Arkansas Little Rock, will lead the committee in the creation of common training in a variety of fields, including law enforcement, victim services, victim impact/survivor consultants and other specialized service providers such as a legal assistance or mental health. Additionally, the committee will review existing training resources for accuracy and provide training for groups across various sectors.

Smith directs the Civil Litigation & Advocacy Clinic and Human Trafficking Clinic. Her advocacy and scholarship focus on labor exploitation, including human trafficking, and enforcement of the rights of low-wage workers. Smith and her students have represented numerous clients in forced labor and human trafficking, unpaid wages and other matters. Her articles have been published in Washington Law Review, New York University Review of Law and Social Change and South Carolina Law Review.

In addition teaching and directing the clinics, Smith also served as faculty director of the School of Law's Public Service and Pro Bono Program from 2019-2022. In 2021, Smith received the inaugural School of Law Dean's Circle Faculty Award for Service. Prior to joining the School of Law faculty in 2012, Smith served as a Friedman Fellow and interim director of the International Human Rights Clinic at The George Washington University Law School. She started her legal career at the Workers' Legal Rights Project of Legal Services of New Jersey. 

About the University of Arkansas School of Law: The law school offers a competitive J.D. and is home to the nation's first LL.M. program in agriculture and food law. Led by nationally recognized faculty, the school offers students pro bono work, live client clinics, public service fellowships, competitions, and much more. Students also benefit from our location in one of the fastest growing, most livable, and economically vibrant regions in the U.S., and from our corporate externship partnerships with Fortune 500 companies. Our alumni have gone on to become judges, senators, and governors, and we serve communities throughout our state and nation through programs such as the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative. Our longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion is exemplified by the Six Pioneers, the first Black students to attend law school in the South. Follow us at @uarklaw.