LANSING, Mich. – On Oct. 18, Cooley Law School held an expungement fair to aid in the removal of certain arrests and convictions from qualifying individuals’ public criminal records.
During the fair, volunteer attorneys and law students under the supervision of licensed attorneys assisted guests with their expungement paperwork. During the event, 67 individuals were qualified to receive assistance. Through the pre-registration process nearly 140 individuals were screened to see if they qualified before the date of the expungement fair.
Michigan law has always allowed for expungements, but the “Clean Slate” legislation enacted in 2020 made more individuals and offenses eligible for expungement. Under the law, individuals with up to three expungement-eligible felonies and any number of misdemeanors can have their records expunged. Certain traffic violations and first-time operating while intoxicated offenses can be expunged. Additionally, misdemeanor marijuana convictions that would not have been considered crimes after recreational marijuana was legalized in Michigan can be expunged.
Expungement removes arrests and convictions from a person’s public criminal record, which makes prior convictions inaccessible to employers or landlords.
Cooley Law School was founded on a mission of equal access to a legal education and offers admission to a diverse group of qualified applicants across the country.
Since the law school's founding in 1972, Cooley has provided a modern legal education to more than 21,000 graduates, teaching the practical skills necessary for a seamless transition from academia to the real world. An independent, non-profit law school, accredited by both the American Bar Association and the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Cooley holds classes year-round at its Michigan and Florida campuses.