Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

(Jan. 30, 2023)

2023

LASP helps 30+ people at 8th annual MLK Day of Service Expungement Clinic

DARBY - Legal Aid of Southeastern PA partnered with PA Rep. Joanna McClinton and Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams for the eighth annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service Expungement Clinic Jan. 16, 2023

Held in Darby Borough Council chambers, the clinic helped more than 30 people get started on the expungement process. This is the first in-person MLK Expungement Clinic since the pandemic started. Expungements can help improve opportunities for jobs, school and housing.

From left - Cathy Ross of Rep. McClinton's office; Cortez Patton, Chief of Staff for Sen. Williams; Megan Reinprecht, LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorney; Wilson Alexander, constituent services for Sen. Williams; Rudy Taylor III, Darby Council President; Rep. Joanna McClinton and her niece; Erica Briant, LASP Director of Community Engagement & Training; Charles Burrows, LASP Disaster Relief Staff Attorney; Kia Huger-Burton, West Chester University alumna and former LASP intern; Erica Witter, LASP intern & Drexel Law student; Laurel Anderson, LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorney; and Emma Schoenberger, LASP volunteer and Penn Law student.

Top row (from left)

  • Rep. Joanna McClinton (at left); Judge Lee Grimes; David Keller Trevaskis, Pennsylvania Bar Association Pro Bono Coordinator; and Jayme Cassidy, Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN) Executive Director.

  • Erica Briant, LASP Director of Community Engagement & Training, shares information about the clinic at the start of the event.

  • Megan Reinprecht (at left), LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorney, & Erica Witter, LASP intern & Drexel Law student.

  • Laurel Anderson (at left) LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorney, & Emma Schoenberger, LASP volunteer & Penn Law student.

Middle row (from left)

  • David Keller Trevaskis, PBA Pro Bono Coordinator; & Jayme Cassidy, PLAN Executive Director.

  • Rudy Taylor III, Darby Borough Council President, and Rep. Joanna McClinton with her niece.

  • Rep. Joanna McClinton & her niece.

  • Kia Huger-Burton, former LASP intern, conducted West Chester University's study on the Clean Slate law.

Bottom row (from left)

  • Jayme Cassidy, PLAN Executive Director; Charles Burrows, LASP Regional Disaster Relief Staff Attorney; and Rep. McClinton.

  • Final preparations for the clinic.

2022

7th annual Martin Luther King Day of Service Expungement Clinic

LASP's Community Engagement Unit and Staff Attorneys helped 26 people at the seventh annual Martin Luther King Day of Service Expungement Clinic. The clinic, Jan. 17, 2022, was virtual due to COVID-19. Eleven attendees met in individual breakout rooms with an attorney to discuss the specifics of their situation and learn about the steps and timeframe needed to clear their record.

Hosts (pictured in top row) were State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams and State Rep. Joanna McClinton. Middle row (from left): Megan Reinprecht, Community Engagement Unit (CEU) Staff Attorney; Erica Briant, CEU Supervising Attorney; and Melina Dixon, Staff Attorney. Bottom row: Alexandria Baland, CEU Staff Attorney; Danielle Paterno, LASP Intern; and Cortez Patton, Chief Counsel for Sen. Williams. [Jan. 17, 2022]

2021

Sixth annual MLK Day of Service Expungement Clinic

LASP partnered with PA Rep. Joanna McClinton and Sen. Anthony Williams for the sixth annual Expungement Clinic to provide legal resources, information and advice to the community. Due to COVID-19, the Jan. 18, 2021 clinic was virtual. Of about 40 participants, 20 are working with LASP to have their criminal records cleared.

"I've always been a strong believer that one mistake should not dictate a person's future, and I'm extremely grateful to have community partners who feel the same way," Rep. McClinton said. "We've enacted legislation to help individuals move on from the past by providing them with opportunities; however, it's not only about enacting change but making sure people know about it and how it impacts them, which was one of the main purposes of our expungement clinic."

Erica Briant, LASP Supervising Attorney for the Community Engagement Unit, noted, "Many people with criminal records don't know the expungement, Clean Slate or pardon laws or where to turn, leaving them feeling trapped. Besides being complex, the laws have seen significant changes in recent years. I'm proud to partner with Rep. McClinton and Sen. Williams for events like this because it helps the community learn about their options and reminds people that assistance is available."

Record-clearing helps people find better paying jobs and gain access to education and housing.

PA Rep. Joanna McClinton joins the Expungement Clinic from the road, on a busy day of events honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. [Jan. 18, 2021]

Erica Briant introduces the Virtual Expungement Clinic. LASP Community Engagement Staff Attorneys Megan Reinprecht and Mark O'Halloran, along with Briant, later met individually with participants in virtual breakout rooms. [Jan. 18, 2021]

2020

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service

DARBY - An expungement clinic, held Jan. 20, 2021 in honor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service, provided legal information about expungements, record-sealing and pardons one-on-one to 29 Delco residents. LASP attorneys and volunteers joined forces with State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams  and PA Rep. Joanna McClinton to present the clinic at Darby Borough Recreation Center.

Marissa Schwartz (at left), student volunteer from University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School​; Erica Briant, Supervising Attorney, LASP Community Engagement Unit; PA Rep. Joanna McClinton​; Shawn Boehringer, LASP Executive Director; Cortez Patton, Chief Counsel for State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams; and Rudy Taylor III, Darby Borough Council member. [Jan. 20, 2020]

Marissa Schwartz (at left), Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams, Erica Briant, Cortez Patton, and Hope Foy, Legislative Assistant for Rep. Joanna McClinton. [Jan. 20, 2020]

Need help cleaning up your criminal record in Bucks, Chester, Delaware or Montgomery counties?

Call 877-429-5994 Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m. or apply online 24/7 at lasp.org/apply.

More information is at lasp.org/expungements.