Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain and the Future of Atca Litigation: Examining Bonded Labor Claims and Corporate Liability

The Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA) has been at the center of a legal controversy that has played out in courtrooms, classrooms, and pages of legal journals for several decades. With its historic decision in Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, the Supreme Court finally added its authoritative voice to this debate. The decision establishes a complex framework that will guide future ATCA jurisprudence and thus shape an important aspect of transnational human rights litigation. This Note focuses on both interpreting this framework and examining possible future claims and arguments that human rights advocates pursuing ATCA litigation are likely to make. Specifically, this Note examines the legal and policy arguments underlying a possible bonded labor claim brought under the ATCA using the Sosa framework.