Case Consulting
Bring clarity to complex cases—not assumptions.
Rethink Trafficking provides lived-experience-informed case context consultation to attorneys handling prostitution, solicitation, and other commercial sex–related legal cases. Our work helps defense teams understand the real-world environments surrounding these cases — without stereotypes, moral panic, or confusion between consensual adult activity and exploitation.
Our strategic edge is that we understand how commercial sex environments actually function — the language, norms, online spaces, and social dynamics that shape the facts of a case. We help attorneys interpret these contexts accurately so that due process is strengthened and trafficking is not conflated with consensual adult activity.
Services are educational and consultative and are provided in collaboration with licensed attorneys. Rethink Trafficking does not provide legal advice or legal representation.
What makes us different
• Lived-experience insight – Real-world knowledge of commercial sex environments, communication patterns, and client experiences that are often unfamiliar to legal professionals.
• Definition-first clarity – We help distinguish trafficking from consensual adult activity so cases are understood accurately and anti-trafficking efforts remain focused on exploitation.
• Context-driven understanding – Insight into the social and economic realities surrounding commercial sex cases, helping reduce misinterpretations and assumptions.
• Stigma-aware communication – Understanding how stigma and fear affect what clients disclose and how they describe their experiences.
• Accuracy strengthens justice – When consensual adult conduct is not conflated with trafficking, courts receive clearer information and genuine trafficking situations are easier to identify.
What we help with
• Case context consultation – Background insight into commercial sex environments, terminology, and common practices that help attorneys interpret case facts more accurately.
• Communication interpretation – Explanation of terminology, online messages, and negotiation patterns commonly seen in commercial sex–related cases.
• Client engagement insight – Understanding stigma barriers and communication dynamics that can affect how clients describe events and relationships.
• Industry context briefings – Overview of typical transaction patterns, online platforms, and enforcement environments relevant to a case.
• Trafficking distinction support – Educational guidance on commonly recognized indicators of force, fraud, or coercion versus non-coercive adult activity.
• Defense team education – Short briefings or trainings to help legal teams better understand commercial sex environments and terminology.
Ready to bring clarity to your case?
Let’s talk.
FAQ
Do you provide legal advice?
No. Rethink Trafficking is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation. All services are educational and consultative and are provided in collaboration with licensed attorneys.
Who do you work with?
Services are typically retained by attorneys rather than individual defendants. We primarily work with criminal defense attorneys and defense teams handling cases involving:
Prostitution-related charges
Solicitation charges
Online sting operations
Escort or massage-related investigations
Cases involving alleged trafficking indicators
Do you work directly with defendants?
Consultations are typically conducted through defense counsel. When appropriate, we may participate in attorney-approved client meetings to help clarify terminology, social context, or industry practices. We do not provide legal advice to defendants.
How can case context consultation help attorneys?
Commercial sex cases often involve specialized language, social dynamics, and online environments that are unfamiliar to many legal professionals. Consultation may help attorneys:
Better understand client narratives
Interpret terminology and communications
Understand commercial sex environments
Recognize common enforcement patterns
Distinguish trafficking indicators from consensual activity
Does this work conflict with anti-trafficking efforts?
No. Clear distinctions between trafficking and consensual adult activity strengthen anti-trafficking work. When consensual adult conduct is not conflated with trafficking:
Trafficking victims can be identified more accurately
Enforcement resources can be better targeted
Courts receive clearer information
Anti-trafficking work remains focused on exploitation
What does a consultation typically involve?
Consultations may include:
Case background discussions
Terminology and communication interpretation
Industry context briefings
Client communication insight
Defense team briefings or trainings
Consultations are typically conducted by phone or video.
Is consultation confidential?
Consultations are conducted at the direction of counsel and treated as confidential professional communications. We respect attorney-client privilege and work within the structure established by defense counsel.
Why is lived experience valuable in these cases?
Commercial sex environments often involve informal language, coded communication, and social dynamics that can be difficult to interpret without firsthand knowledge. Lived-experience-informed consultation can help attorneys:
Understand how transactions typically occur
Interpret communications more accurately
Recognize typical versus atypical situations
Avoid common misunderstandings
Important Notice:
Rethink Trafficking is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal strategy, or legal representation. Services are educational and consultative and are provided to licensed attorneys.
Get Involved!
Have a question, a project idea, or a situation you’re trying to make sense of? Reach out. We’ll point you toward next steps—whether that’s training, consulting, collaboration, or the right support.