Jiasheng Xu

Rights in Systems Enforced Clinic

Jiasheng Xu, Rights in Systems Enforced Clinic

Jiasheng Xu joined the RISE Clinic in the Summer of 2021 as a volunteer interpreter eager to help provide language access to a group of Chinese women who had been forced to perform labor and commercial sex. With her attention to detail, empathy, and ability to establish rapport with the survivors, she played an essential role in helping our Victims’ Rights Attorneys and Social Service Provider to collect information during the assessment process. She also guided us in adapting to communication that was culturally appropriate and increased our understanding of the clients’ culture and their experience. As such, her work as an interpreter was valuable to help ensure their access to justice. Following from her commitment to support the survivors in this case, Ms. Xu enrolled in our clinic and became a Certified Law Student to help enforce and protect their rights as crime victims during the prosecution of their trafficker. She sat with the survivors during interviews with prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office to help them prepare as testifying witnesses. She was not hesitant to voice her concerns and educate the prosecutors and investigators about the victims’ experience with trafficking in order to encourage their use of trauma-informed approaches throughout the process, ensuring the survivors were treated with dignity and respect. It has been a privilege to have Ms. Xu in the RISE Clinic and we value the impact she has made on our team, other clinic students, and the lives of the survivors she has tirelessly supported.