Earlier this month, our pro bono team partnered up with Inland Empire Latino Lawyers Association (IELLA), Root and Rebound, Time for Change Foundation, and Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy for an expungement clinic uniting compassionate volunteer advocates with community members on a path toward social reconciliation and restorative justice.
Paulette Gray, ICLS Expungement Attorney and pro bono team member, reflects on the clinic she coordinated alongside community partners,
“The May 11th expungement clinic hosted by Young Visionaries Youth Leadership Academy in San Bernardino was an incredible experience. ICLS worked with volunteers from IELLA, Root and Rebound, and Time for Change Foundation to [assist] individuals with their criminal expungement needs. With their support and guidance, the clinic provided invaluable resources and assistance to those striving for a fresh start.”
The clinic showcased ICLS advocates’ ability to assist clients through difficult legal processes and put them into perspective. Gray and her team, on more than one occasion, offered reassurance to clients, many of whom have faced hurdles with discrimination due to their history. Because at ICLS, we know that showing up for those in our community can offer an opportunity to move forward.
For many, expunging a case from their record is not only a petition to dismiss a conviction – it is a chance to begin anew and constructively combat employment difficulties, housing challenges, educational barriers, financial obstacles, social stigmas, and more.
In this landscape of opportunity and resilience, the need for expungement clinics emerges as an imperative beacon of hope, a sanctuary where individuals burdened by the weight of their past can seek renewal and understanding from their communities.
