Lauren Hersh

Lauren Hersh is an internationally recognized lawyer and activist at the forefront of efforts to combat gender-based violence and exploitation in schools, online, and in the legal arena. She is a Time 100 honoree, the magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world for 2026.

Lauren's work has played a critical role in shaping and advancing legislation designed to dismantle systems that allow those in power to operate with impunity and prey on the vulnerable. Most recently, she has helped lead survivor-driven efforts to advance accountability and transparency reforms in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein case, including the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

She is the Co-Founder and CEO of World Without Exploitation, a national coalition dedicated to ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation. She previously served as Chief of the Sex Trafficking Unit at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where she led major investigations and prosecutions on behalf of survivors.

Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Organization for Women’s Susan B. Anthony Award, Mount Sinai Hospital SAVI Award, and New York Law Journal’s 2016 Rising Stars, and she is recognized as one of New York’s New Abolitionists. She has taught at NYU, lectured at the United Nations and the European Parliament, and written extensively on issues of gender-based violence.

A frequently sought-after national expert, Hersh regularly provides media analysis on sexual violence, trafficking, and survivor-centered justice. She has appeared on major outlets, including CNN, and has been featured in The New York Times, TIME and other leading news organizations.

Her work has played a critical role in shaping and advancing legislation designed to dismantle systems that allow those in power to operate with impunity and prey on the vulnerable. Most recently, she has helped lead survivor-driven efforts to advance accountability and transparency reforms in the wake of the Jeffrey Epstein case, including the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act.

She is the Co-Founder and CEO of World Without Exploitation, a national coalition dedicated to ending human trafficking and sexual exploitation. She previously served as Chief of the Sex Trafficking Unit at the Kings County District Attorney’s Office, where she led major investigations and prosecutions on behalf of survivors.

Her work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the National Organization for Women’s Susan B. Anthony Award, Mount Sinai Hospital SAVI Award, and New York Law Journal’s 2016 Rising Stars, and she is recognized as one of New York’s New Abolitionists. She has taught at NYU, lectured at the United Nations and the European Parliament, and written extensively on issues of gender-based violence.

A frequently sought-after national expert, Hersh regularly provides media analysis on sexual violence, trafficking, and survivor-centered justice. She has appeared on major outlets, including CNN, and has been featured in The New York Times, TIME and other leading news organizations.