Lead student counselors will work closely with the Expunction Project Supervising Attorney and Mithoff Pro Bono Scholars to manage 1-3 expunction and nondisclosure cases from intake through conclusion. Students will help people determine eligibility to expunge criminal records or obtain orders of nondisclosure of criminal records; obtain criminal records from courts and other agencies; draft petitions; and prepare individuals for pro se expunction 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 a person to not disclose offenses on applications for housing or employment.
Organization
Educational Equity Project, Mithoff Pro Bono Program
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 2018; Lead student counselors must attend one Expunction Intake Clinic (Tuesday, September 18, 5:30pm-9pm OR Tuesday, September 25, 5:30pm-9pm), one Expunction Work Session (Tuesday October 16, 5:00pm-8:30pm OR Tuesday, October 23, 5:00pm-8:30pm); AND one Expunction Exit Session (Wednesday, November 7, 5:30pm-9pm OR Tuesday, November 13, 5:30pm-9pm)
- Approximate hours of work requested
- 20-25 hours during the fall semester, including training sessions
- Training
- Students must attend Expunction Intake Training on Friday, September 14, 1pm-3pm (TNH 2.137) OR Monday, September 17, 5:30pm-7:30pm (TNH 2.137) OR Monday, September 24, 5:30pm-7:30pm (TNH 2.123); 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 Sessions are at the Goodwill Central Texas Community Center, 1015 Norwood Park Blvd. (September 18 and November 6) or the Travis County Law Library, 314 W. 11th Street (September 25 and November 13); 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 Clinic 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