Through our Community Empowerment Project, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy helps low-income North Carolina residents get their criminal records expunged, allowing them to overcome significant barriers to economic stability and opportunity. More than one in five North Carolinians has a criminal record. Too often, individuals are automatically denied employment, housing, and other opportunities, based on past involvement with the criminal justice system, including dismissed charges and long-ago convictions.
What is involved:
Services are unbundled and attorneys and legal professionals can get involved in several different ways.
Clinics
We hold several limited representation clinics throughout the year. Volunteers may participate in one or more stages of clinic preparation and/or client meetings.
- The Advocacy Center obtains clients’ criminal records
- Volunteer attorneys review criminal records for eligibility. (Time commitment: ~3-5 hours)
- Legal professionals draft petitions to be submitted to the court. (Time commitment: ~3-5 hours)
- Volunteer attorneys meet with clients on clinic day to advise on eligibility and assist in completing petitions and supporting documentation. (Time commitment: 3-6 hours)
- Clients submit their petitions pro se to the court.
Full Representation
Clients with eligible adult convictions across multiple counties may be accepted for full representation. These cases are either take in-house by an Advocacy Center staff attorney or referred to a pro bono attorney. Volunteer attorneys for these cases are responsible for:
- Filing petitions on behalf of the client.
- Monitoring progress of petitions by checking with the clerk’s offices.
- Attending hearings, if necessary.
(Time commitment: less than 6 hours over 3-6 months unless travel is required.)
You must be barred in North Carolina to handle an expunction case.
Return to Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy Pro Bono Program page