Continuing Legal Education

Sealing CORI Records

Wednesday March 17, 2010 
10:00 am - 12:00 pm 
Suffolk Law School, Room 295, 120 Tremont Street, Boston 

No cost.

2 CLE credits for SLJ panel attorneys. 

 RSVP to mmendonca@sljinc.org or 617-348-0088

Presenters: 

Renay Frankel, Soros Justice Advocacy Fellow with the Community Justice Collaborative Pauline Quirion, Director of the Greater Boston Legal Services Re-entry Project 

Moderator:

Sarah McClean, SLJ panel attorney. 

After people are released from jail, have their criminal cases dismissed, or are found not guilty of a crime, they have a CORI (Criminal Offender Record Information). CORI's have continuing consequences that perpetuate economic disadvantages, especially in communities of color. People with criminal records face discrimination when seeking employment and are often ineligible for housing. They lose many of the opportunities for economic mobility that most people take for granted. As a result, people with criminal records are often trapped in a cycle of poverty and homelessness.

Joblessness, underemployment, and lack of economic opportunity for people with criminal records or a history of incarceration have created an economic crisis in Boston’s communities of color. Indeed, the war on drugs, mandatory sentencing, and racial profiling have lead to racially disparate rates of arrest, prosecution, and incarceration. As a result, CORI has become a racial justice issue and led to a movement to try to revise antiquated laws that require a waiting period of up to 15 years to seal a CORI. The legislature has been slow to act and many financially strapped people need immediate help to seal their records.

This free training educates bar advocates on how to advise their clients about sealing records of both convictions and non-convictions. In addition, attorneys will learn to assist clients in sealing a case at the same time the case is dismissed, nolle prossed or results in a not-guilty finding.

 Please note: CPCS will not compensate attorneys for this service.