MoForever Alumni News Winter 2021

23 | MoForever Winter 2021 Torture Victim Protection Act. The clients were three Salvadoran torture survivors who had sought political asylum in the U.S. Defendants were two high-level members of the Salvadoran Ministry of Defense who had presided over the disappearance, killing, and torture of over 75,000 civilians during the Salvadoran Civil War. They were found living near each other in Florida. Beth and former MoFo partner Peter Stern—now director, content policy stakeholder engagement for Facebook, Inc.—worked on the case through trial, appeal, and re-hearing to ultimately achieve a $54 million judgment for the torture survivors. It was one of the first times that a jury, in a fully contested trial, found perpetrators responsible for human rights abuses under the doctrine of command responsibility. For Beth, witnessing the clients’ transformation was the true reward. They’d been damaged individuals, still suffering psychologically and physically from past torture. “Winning the case gave them new courage, a new perspective, and a new sense of self-worth for what they could accomplish in the world,” Beth says. Justice with a capital “J” Romagoza also exemplifies what being a lawyer means to Beth. “Clients and survivors don’t have the legal skills to make legal arguments or to advocate for their rights. Being a lawyer gives you a set of skills and access to institutions that allow you to represent the interests, hopes, and dreams of others,” she says. The case also shows the essential role everyday Americans can play in dispensing justice. “It’s important for every citizen to see that U.S. courts don’t just resolve business and contract disputes, but can achieve justice ‘with a capital J,’” Beth says. She explains that the U.S. is obligated to enforce international norms, including strong prohibitions against torture. Though the events in Romagoza occurred in El Salvador, justice was pursued in U.S. courts. “The Romagoza jurors were ordinary Americans taken back to the 1970s in El Salvador. Yet ultimately, their verdict was crucial for eradicating torture practices from the world today.”