San Diego attorney and clinic founder helps human trafficking victims rebuild their lives
REACHING GOALS
With the support of her firm, Quient left private practice last year to launch Free to Thrive. The nonprofit marks its first anniversary this month.
Looking back on the first year, Quient describes it as “running a marathon while putting on your shoes.” She worked full time at Procopio until mid-August 2017, winding down her cases and transferring matters to other attorneys. She still was president of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, drafting bylaws and seeking funding for Free to Thrive, when the calls from clients in crisis began.
Her law firm’s support has been truly incredible, she says. Procopio donated office space, conference space and equipment, essentially serving as an incubator for the nonprofit. Her former colleagues handle cases on a pro bono basis.
Quient has short- and long-term goals for Free to Thrive along with one important personal goal: a commitment to take care of herself while she shoulders the traumas of others.
“Some of the issues they are facing are so serious,” she says, referring to one client fighting for custody of her daughter and another who isn’t safe from her trafficker.
“Our program only goes so far in terms of the services we can provide,” she says. “I try really hard not to let these things keep me up at night and to do the best with what I have.”
To avoid the pitfall of “vicarious trauma,” Quient relies on yoga, meditation and outdoor sports to de-stress after difficult days.
Her immediate need for Free to Thrive is raising money so she can add staff and expand services. She is on track to represent 70 to 80 clients in this first year, well above the goal of 60 clients established at the launch.
Quient recently hired a part-time staff attorney and will be managing several interns during the summer—law students as well as public health and social service graduate students.
Her long-term goal is to significantly improve her clients’ employment opportunities. It’s one of their most urgent needs, she says.
“Imagine someone who’s been trafficked from age 16 to 29, and now imagine her trying to put a resumé together at age 29,” she says.
Quient wants to help clients articulate their experience without having to divulge their past. She also hopes to develop a network of employers committed to hiring trafficking survivors. Her dream is that Free to Thrive will be able to provide jobs to former clients.
But, again, those are long-term goals. For now, she says, “I come in on the weekends to do copying and scanning because I don’t have time during the week to do that or any money to hire administrative staff.”
Even so, she doesn’t miss her days as a civil litigator.
“I feel like I’m a far better human trafficking lawyer than a civil litigator because I’m so passionate about the work,” she says.
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This article was published in the May 2018 issue of the ABA Journal with the title "Freedom to Flourish: San Diego attorney establishes legal clinic to help victims of human trafficking rebuild their lives."
