Details:
Many people who are convicted of crimes in Minnesota state court suffer collateral consequences of the convictions long after the terms or their sentences are completed. Many former defendants find themselves denied employment and rental housing opportunities as a result of the existence of their criminal records and the increasing availability of information regarding charges and convictions available online. Volunteer Lawyers Network is currently experiencing a surge in potential clients who need free legal help determining whether and when their criminal records might be eligible for expungement. If you are interested in helping with this all-too-common legal problem but don’t know anything about criminal expungement, then this CLE is for you. This introductory CLE will explain the basic differences between statutory expungement, inherent authority expungement, and prosecutor-led expungement. This CLE will cover crime-free waiting periods that former defendants are required to meet in order to be eligible for statutory expungement and will also cover recent changes to the law.

Presenters:

Elizabeth Fowlds is the Criminal Expungement Resource Attorney and Program Manager at Volunteer Lawyers Network, a position she has held since July 2023. Prior to joining VLN, Elizabeth practiced as a public defender in Sonoma County, California; Mendocino County, California; and Hennepin County Minnesota. 

Glen Drew is an attorney and the Director of Legal Programs at Volunteer Lawyers Network and previously coordinated operation of VLN’s Conciliation Court Clinic for over a decade.  Prior to joining VLN, Glen was a volunteer in the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps.