Texas Law Expunction Project – Lead Student Counselors

Lead student counselors will work closely with a Supervising Attorney and Mithoff Pro Bono Scholars to manage cases from intake through conclusion. Students will help people determine eligibility for expunction or orders of non-disclosure; obtain criminal records; prepare petitions; and prepare individuals for pro se hearings. Expunging records allows people to legally deny offenses and erases records from criminal histories, mitigating future harm stemming from arrests that do not result in a criminal conviction. Orders of nondisclosure direct police departments and other agencies not to disclose criminal records on background checks, and allow people to not disclose offenses on housing or employment applications.

Organization

Expunction Project

The Expunction Project is an internal project of the Richard and Ginni Mithoff Pro Bono Program’s Educational Equity Project.

Project Details

Project Start Date

September 2019; Lead student counselors must attend one Expunction Intake Clinic (Tuesday, September 17, 5:30pm-9pm OR Tuesday, September 24, 5:30pm-9pm) AND one Expunction Exit Session (Tuesday, November 12, 5:30pm-9pm OR Tuesday, November 19, 5:30pm-9pm)

Approximate hours of work requested
20-25 hours during the spring semester, including training sessions.
Training
Students must attend Expunction Intake Training on Tuesday, September 10, 5pm-7pm (TNH 2.137) OR Friday, September 13, 3pm-5pm (TNH 2.138) OR Monday, September 16, 5pm-7pm (TNH 2.137); students also must attend a separate training for lead student counselors that will be scheduled based on student availability
Skills used
Client interviewing; communication about client’s legal needs; document preparation and review
Project location
Expunction Intake and Exit Sessions are at the Goodwill Central Texas Community Center, 1015 Norwood Park Blvd. (September 17 and November 19) or the Travis County Law Library, 314 W. 11th Street (September 24 and November 12); Expunction Work Sessions are at the law school; other work will be performed in the William Wayne Justice Center for Public Interest Law (CCJ 1.324)
Number of student volunteers requested
8
Class year preference
1L, 2L, 3L, LLM
Required skills
Language: Spanish helpful but not necessary; prior Expunction Project experience helpful but not necessary
To Apply
Submit email stating interest and indicating 1) which Intake Session you would like to attend and 2) which intake training session you would like to attend to Sarah Sedgwick at ssedgwick@law.utexas.edu