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MAUREEN GUIRGUIsMaureen Guirguis has over 25 years of legal experience. She earned her law degree summa cum laude from Cleveland Marshall College of law in Cleveland, Ohio in 1998. She then practiced litigation in a large firm (Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, now Squire, Patton Boggs) for six years before joining the faculty as a law professor at Case Western Reserve University’s School of Law. Ms. Guirguis taught criminal law, legal analysis and writing, and served as founder and director of Case Western’s Legal Writing Academy.
Ms. Guirguis then co-created Case Western Reserve University’s Human Trafficking Law Clinic in 2015. Serving as the Human Trafficking Law Clinic’s co-Director, Ms. Guirguis represented sex-trafficking survivors and supervised students in their representation of survivors including assistance in any pending criminal charges related to their victimization; expunging any criminal convictions related to |
their victimization; assistance in any court proceedings related to the prosecution of their trafficker(s) (for which they would likely serve as witnesses for the prosecution); and seeking restitution for victims or compensation under state and federal laws.
Ms. Guirguis worked with state legislators and advocacy groups to reform legislation for human-trafficking victims, including testifying before congressional committees.
Ms. Guirguis provided education and awareness to service providers and the general public by hosting symposia for service providers and the general public that educate them on human trafficking; researching case studies of human trafficking to be better aware of current trends, warning signs, and ways to identify victims; researching current state and federal laws regarding human trafficking to educate service providers on current rights and services available to victims under the law; preparing brochures or other educational materials for schools to increase awareness of the dangers of human trafficking; providing educational seminars in schools to increase awareness and educate on the trends and warning signs of human trafficking; and preparing brochures and educational materials for service providers with regard to the typical victim of human trafficking and his/her needs.
Ms. Guirguis also created and taught a law school laboratory course that addressed various human-trafficking law issues. Students learned about labor trafficking and sex trafficking and the federal and state legislation that laid the foundation for victims’ rights. Students analyzed current legislation to determine areas of necessary legislative reform to further advance victims’ rights and penalize traffickers. Students drafted papers analyzing cutting-edge human-trafficking topics, including cyber-exploitation, pornography, child sex trafficking, expungement law, and others.
In July 2018, Ms. Guirguis branched out into the non-profit sector and she became the sole founder and director of the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Law Clinic. This Clinic also served human trafficking survivors, worked to reform legislation, as well as providing education and awareness. Ms. Guirguis also provided assistance to sexual assault and domestic violence victims and worked for domestic violence legal reform and to educate potential victims of domestic violence.
Ms. Guirguis worked with state legislators and advocacy groups to reform legislation for human-trafficking victims, including testifying before congressional committees.
Ms. Guirguis provided education and awareness to service providers and the general public by hosting symposia for service providers and the general public that educate them on human trafficking; researching case studies of human trafficking to be better aware of current trends, warning signs, and ways to identify victims; researching current state and federal laws regarding human trafficking to educate service providers on current rights and services available to victims under the law; preparing brochures or other educational materials for schools to increase awareness of the dangers of human trafficking; providing educational seminars in schools to increase awareness and educate on the trends and warning signs of human trafficking; and preparing brochures and educational materials for service providers with regard to the typical victim of human trafficking and his/her needs.
Ms. Guirguis also created and taught a law school laboratory course that addressed various human-trafficking law issues. Students learned about labor trafficking and sex trafficking and the federal and state legislation that laid the foundation for victims’ rights. Students analyzed current legislation to determine areas of necessary legislative reform to further advance victims’ rights and penalize traffickers. Students drafted papers analyzing cutting-edge human-trafficking topics, including cyber-exploitation, pornography, child sex trafficking, expungement law, and others.
In July 2018, Ms. Guirguis branched out into the non-profit sector and she became the sole founder and director of the Northeast Ohio Human Trafficking Law Clinic. This Clinic also served human trafficking survivors, worked to reform legislation, as well as providing education and awareness. Ms. Guirguis also provided assistance to sexual assault and domestic violence victims and worked for domestic violence legal reform and to educate potential victims of domestic violence.