Clean Slate 
Program

This program is designed to eradicate as many barriers as possible to the success of the people of African descent. Practicing lawyers will interview clients and draft petitions to submit to the court on behalf of the clients to seal or expunge their criminal and arrest records.

 

According to most estimates, 80–90 percent of all criminal defendants cannot afford to hire an attorney. Since the criminal legal system disproportionately impacts African Americans, criminal records are a significant racial justice issue. Seventy-five million Americans, or one-third of all adults, have criminal records. Between 19 and 24 million of those are felony convictions. Millions more are misdemeanor convictions and dismissed cases.

There are collateral consequences of having a criminal record, which includes voter disenfranchisement, deportation, civil confinement, community notification, ineligibility to live in subsidized housing, ineligibility for federal student loans, loss of professional licensure, and loss of driving and vehicle registration privileges. 

 

Criminal Expungement

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A Criminal Record Expungement means that any arrests or criminal records are destroyed or sealed. An expunged record cannot be seen by the public, employers or background check agencies. However, the record may still be seen by government agencies, police, military, and other agencies that require a security clearance for a particular job.