Uwe Deffner / Alamy Stock Photo
Criminal Justice
Clearing Criminal Records
Many who have spent time in prison face limitations even decades after their release. People with criminal records can experience barriers to accessing housing, employment, educational opportunities, and other benefits. Root and Rebound, a nonprofit based in Northern California, helps support people navigating reentry by guiding them through the process of expunging their criminal records.
Volunteer lawyers can make sure that the information included in the declaration is accurate, helpful, and convincing.
A key part of the expungement petition in California is a declaration that describes the applicant’s steps toward rehabilitation and reentry into society. For example, many individuals enroll in therapeutic programs, seek mentors in their communities, and find ways to give back. We partner with Root and Rebound to interview clients, learn about the improvements they have made in their lives, and help them draft a declaration describing their progress. Because expungement is up to the discretion of the judge, the declaration is an important part of the petition, and volunteer lawyers can make sure that the information included in the declaration is accurate, helpful, and convincing.
We have also initiated a partnership with Legal Services of New Jersey to help individuals in New Jersey clear expungable arrests and convictions. Twenty-eight Lowenstein lawyers and other professionals attended or viewed a training in December, and the work will gear up in 2024.
