How to Run an Expungement Clinic at Your Library
Worcester County Library
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28 June 2022
Staff at the Worcester County Library (MD) were offering workforce development services for their community when they learned how many patrons encounter roadblocks due to their previous criminal history. Staff also knew that expungement – the process by which a record of criminal conviction is destroyed or sealed from state or federal record – could be helpful and so they set up an expungement clinic to pair patrons with a pro bono attorney who could assist with the process. Learn more about their story and how you might begin to set up an expungement clinic at your library in this 10-minute interview with Elena Coelho and Marshall Shord from Worcester County Library, and Chris Sweeney from the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service.
See Also
- Legal Expungement Assistance by State
This list of Legal Services by state is a starting point for partnering with a legal service that offers pro bono expungement work, or can refer patrons to someone who does, and is willing to meet virtually. - Cyber Legal Clinics Create Access to Employment at Wicomico Public Libraries
Worcester County Library staff drew inspiration from this article about their neighboring county’s library services. - Slides from Interview (pdf)
- Read about Calvin Battles, Adult Services Coordinator for the Jackson District Library and 2022 Mover and Shaker, recognized for his work on Expungment Clinics.
Learn More about Legal Services
- Creating Pathways to Civil Legal Justice, a free self-paced course series available in WebJunction’s Course Catalog.
- Find additional resources related to libraries and legal services: oc.lc/legal-justice.