Alumni Profile: Valerie Payne ('09)

Many of Regent Law's 2,500+ alumni are presently working in human rights law or are involved in agencies and organizations dedicated to rescuing the enslaved, trafficked, and oppressed. We hope you enjoy reading the following alumni profiles which represent a small portion of our many alumni literally changing the world.

Valerie Payne ('09)

For nearly 10 years, Valerie has been passionate about the issue of human trafficking. As a student at Regent University School of Law, she invested much time in researching and writing about the issue, as well as informing others about the impact of modern day slavery.

The culmination of her research was her student note, “On the Road to Victory in America’s War on Human Trafficking: Landmarks, Landmines, and the Need for Centralized Strategy,” published in the Spring 2009 issue of the Regent University Law Review.

Payne’s original article was nearly preempted by the passing of the William Wilberforce Reauthorization Act in late December 2008. Payne admits that it was tempting to abandon the project at that point, but she sensed the urgency and importance of pushing through to publication. After many late nights and with the help of the Law Review staff she was able to reconfigure the article to address concerns born out of the new legislation.

Payne’s diligence and outstanding professional efforts have recently been recognized by those responsible for the First Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Conference organizers have invited Payne to present her research at the conference scheduled for October 29-31, 2009. The conference’s mission is to bring together researchers from many disciplines, as well as government and non-governmental agencies that have responsibility for anti-trafficking efforts, to develop a research agenda.

Payne will join a group of internationally known speakers at the conference, including Dr. Kevin Bales. Awarded numerous international humanitarian awards for his work, Dr. Bales is one of the world’s leading experts on modern slavery and child trafficking. In her research Payne referenced multiple sources of Dr. Bales’ work, including his book Ending Slavery: How We Free Today’s Slaves.

More information about the First Annual Interdisciplinary Conference on Human Trafficking can be found at their website. A copy of Payne’s article can be found in Volume 21, No. 2 of the Regent Law Review.

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