WASHINGTON, DC — In recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, Pro Bono Institute (PBI), in partnership with Moore & Van Allen, Rutan & Tucker, Alliance to Lead Impact in Global Human Trafficking (ALIGHT), Atlas Free, Justice with Humanity, and the National Survivor Law (NSL) Collective, celebrate the successful launch of virtual credit repair pro bono clinics to help survivors of human trafficking and plans to expand this clinic model. The pilot series consisted of three clinics in the fall of 2025 serving 30 survivors and engaging more than 100 volunteers from 15 law firms and legal departments.
The clinics helped survivors with credit repair under the Debt Bondage Repair Act (DBRA), which went into effect in July 2022, and the related Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Regulation V. The DBRA is an amendment to the Fair Credit Reporting Act that empowers survivors of human trafficking to block harmful credit information resulting from their exploitation.
The pilot series was inspired by virtual clinics held by the NSL Collective, which was discussed at the PBI 2025 Annual Conference. Following the Conference, the need for services by survivors and the level of volunteer interest outpaced the current capacity of the pro bono clinics. This led the NSL Collective to partner with PBI to develop a new national model that engages law firms and in-house legal departments.
“These pro bono clinics empowered survivors to repair their credit histories and scores with specialized support,” said Eve Runyon, PBI President and CEO. “With the virtual model, trained volunteers from around the country connected with survivors to bridge gaps in legal support. We are proud of our volunteers and law firm and corporate partners for their commitment to meeting this legal need and look forward to expanding this model for increased impact.”
“The National Survivor Law Collective is proud to have scaled pro bono support and law firm engagement nationally through partnership with Atlas Free and Pro Bono Institute,” said Sarah Byrne, Member at Moore & Van Allen, and founding member of the National Survivor Law Collective. “The NSL Collective’s mission is to increase access to justice and trauma-informed lawyers for trafficking survivors. The success of these clinics inspires us to leverage the growing national network of law firm and legal department lawyers to do more to meet survivors’ legal needs across the country.”
The clinics served all eligible survivors who requested pro bono assistance with credit repair.
PBI extends our sincere thanks to the volunteers, law firms, and legal departments who contributed to the successful launch of the Fall 2025 Virtual Credit Repair Clinics, including Bank of New York Mellon Corporation, Barclays, BP America, Inc., Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft LLP, Capital One Financial Corporation, Citizens Bank, Freshfields, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Haynes Boone, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough, Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP, Perkins Coie, Prudential Financial, Inc., and Wells Fargo & Company.
PBI and the NSL Collective are refining a comprehensive toolkit for Virtual Credit Repair Clinics under the DBRA. PBI also plans to host future clinics with the NSL Collective in partnership with law firms and legal departments throughout 2026. Please reach out to PBI staff if you are interested in co-hosting or participating in future clinics and read more about the pilot series here.
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About Pro Bono Institute:
Founded in 1996, PBI is a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization. With an unparalleled depth of knowledge, resources and expertise, PBI is the respected resource for all things pro bono. Through our work with law firms, in-house corporate legal departments, and public interest organizations, PBI is the global thought leader in exploring, identifying, evaluating, catalyzing, and taking to scale new approaches to and resources for the provision of legal services to the poor, disadvantaged, and other individuals or groups unable to secure legal assistance to address critical problems. Visit probonoinst.org to learn more.
About the National Survivor Law Collective
The National Survivor Law Collective (NSL Collective) was formed in 2020 with the simple but powerful recognition that every survivor needs a lawyer — and not just any lawyer, but one who understands trafficking, trauma, and what it means to fight for a second chance. The NSL Collective is working on the creation of a nationwide network to connect survivors with attorneys who can support them through the myriad legal issues related to their victimization.