Chestnut Hill College and the Center for Education, Advocacy and Social Justice, will welcome Justice Fellows, Sarah Robinson and Jamie Pizzi, who currently work at the Villanova Law Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation. They will inform students and the college community of the problem of sex trafficking, the laws and some local stories. You can read bios for both speakers below:
Sarah Robinson, Esq. is the inaugural Justice for Victims Fellow for the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation. In this position, Ms. Robinson provides trauma-informed legal advocacy to victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Ms. Robinson focuses her practice on post-conviction remedies for sexually exploited people, including vacatur, a special form of relief enacted exclusively for sex trafficking survivors. From 2016-2018, Ms. Robinson served as an Assistant Defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, providing criminal defense representation to participants in the Municipal Court problem-solving program, Project Dawn Court. She continues to represent Project Dawn Court participants, graduates, and other Defender Association clients in record-clearing matters. Ms. Robinson hosts legal intake hours at the Salvation Army’s New Day Drop-In Center in Kensington, where she continues to learn, directly from women in the life, about the legal needs and challenges sexually exploited people face in Philadelphia. Outside of direct representation, Ms. Robinson regularly trains attorneys, law enforcement, and other stakeholders on human trafficking laws, contributes to local policy development, and engages in legislative reform advocacy.
Ms. Robinson is a 2016 graduate of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. She completed her undergraduate education in English and Gender Studies at West Chester University of Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.
Jamie L. Pizzi, Esq. joined the Institute to Address Commercial Sexual Exploitation legal team in September 2018 as the second Justice for Victims Fellow. In this position, Ms. Pizzi directly engages with victims and survivors of commercial sexual exploitation and sex trafficking by providing direct legal representation. Ms. Pizzi focuses her practice on the pursuit of post-conviction relief, including vacatur and expungement. In addition, Ms. Pizzi regularly spends time at the Salvation Army’s New Day Drop-In Center for women in Kensington, where she provides critical Know Your Rights information, conducts legal triage, and gathers data about the legal needs and challenges that victims of commercial sexual exploitation face.
Ms. Pizzi is a 2018 graduate of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. While in law school, Ms. Pizzi further developed her commitment to public service by working with several Philadelphia-area public interest law firms including SeniorLaw Center and the Villanova Farmworker Legal Aid Clinic. She completed her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Political Science at Rollins College. She is a member of the Pennsylvania Bar.
