National Bar Association Hosts Project Fresh Start
DC Volunteer Expungememt Training with NAACP and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law
WASHINGTON, DC — The National Bar Association will host “Project Fresh Start”, a DC volunteer expungement training program that will be held on Saturday, March 29, during the organization’s 34th Annual Mid-Year Conference.
Project Fresh Start is a joint initiative with the NAACP and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Right Under the Law. This training will prepare DC attorneys to offer brief legal information to individuals during expungement walk-in clinics and provide full representation to those deemed eligible to file for an expungement. This is the first year the program has provided training for attorneys in the DC area.
“In difficult economic times, having a clean criminal record is more important than ever. A person’s criminal history may affect efforts to find employment, rent an apartment, obtain a loan, vote, obtain certain licenses, or receive government benefits.” stated Patricia Rosier, President of the National Bar Association.
The expungement process takes legal steps to permit qualified individuals to have their criminal records sealed or destroyed. Due to the lack of knowledge about the expungement process disproportionally affects members of the low income/disadvantaged community.
The training will cover:
Eligible vs. Non-Eligible Offenses in the District of Columbia
How to Read a Criminal Record
How to Determine if an Offense is Eligible for Expungement
How to File for an Expungement in D.C. Superior Court
Managing Expectations of Individuals Seeking an Expungement
Referral Services for Individuals Who Are Ineligible for an Expungement
The National Bar Association was founded in 1925 and is the nation’s oldest and largest national network of predominantly African American attorneys and judges. It represents approximately 59,000 lawyers, judges, law professors and law students and has over 80 affiliate chapters throughout the United States and around the world. For more information, visit: www.nationalbar.org