Caroline Pizano

Caroline Pizano is the Senior Staff Attorney at the Human Trafficking Legal Center. She leads the Strategic Litigation program, working to expand access to justice for human trafficking survivors through civil litigation.  She works to develop cases using the Trafficking Victim Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA) to combat forced labor in global supply chains and coordinates, drafts, and files amicus briefs focused on protecting the TVPRA and advocating for survivors’ rights. She also provides technical assistance to pro bono and plaintiff-side litigators who represent survivors, advising on case strategy and law and offering expertise at every stage of litigation.  

Prior to joining the Human Trafficking Legal Center, Caroline worked as a litigation associate in two global law firms, where she maintained an active pro bono practice representing survivors of trafficking and gender-based violence in a wide range of cases. In her pro bono work, she also worked closely with anti-trafficking organizations in responding to subpoenas in trafficking prosecutions, screening criminal record-clearing cases with the Survivor Reentry Project, and expanding attorney training and trauma-informed representation in private practice. Also trained and licensed as a social worker, prior to becoming a lawyer, Caroline served as an advocate for justice-involved trafficking survivors in the New York family court system and advanced survivor-centered justice initiatives in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, as well as trafficking prevention and community education efforts with local non-profit organizations and coalitions. 

Caroline clerked for the Honorable Colleen McMahon of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York and interned for the Honorable Raul Pangalangan in the International Criminal Court. She graduated with her JD magna cum laude from St. John’s University School of Law, her MSW from Washington University in St. Louis, and her BA in psychology, highest distinction and Phi Beta Kappa, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She serves as an adjunct faculty member at St. John’s University School of Law, where she teaches Human Trafficking Law.