In an effort to remove barriers to employment, housing, and other challenges that arise from a criminal conviction, University of Detroit Mercy School of Law, in partnership with the Michigan Supreme Court and the Michigan State Bar Foundation, launched Project Access—a mobile expungement clinic—on July 26 in Gratiot County. Funded by a grant received by the Michigan State Bar Foundation and with the guidance of the Honorable Michelle Rick of the 29^th Circuit Court, Detroit Mercy Law School’s Director of Clinic Operations and Outreach Rebecca Nowak, Detroit Mercy Law’s Dean Nick Schroeck, and eight Detroit Mercy Law students traveled to six counties from late July through early August and again on October 22 at the Hall of Justice where they collaborated for three more counties with local judges, law enforcement, and volunteer attorneys to aid, in total, over 300 low-income individuals both preregistered and as walk-ins during the clinics as well as after the clinics were performed.  Clients were preregistered through a link and assisted with determining eligibility and advised of ineligibility prior to the clinics. Eligible clients were assisted with navigating the expungement process and with preparing necessary legal documents.

Unrelated to the grant, Detroit Mercy Law alumni Hon. Patrick Shannon, Chief Judge of the Treatment Court of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, invited Detroit Mercy Law to host its traveling clinic for his tribe. Rebecca Nowak, Dean Schroeck, and five law students traveled to Mt. Pleasant and conducted the expungement clinic for tribe members tipping the clinics visits to 10 counties.

By providing the opportunity to give those with a criminal record a second chance while allowing Detroit Mercy Law the opportunity for hands-on community engagement and giving law students an opportunity to get their feet wet while serving others, all while increasing the public’s trust in the legal system, the traveling clinic now serves as a model for other organizations as well as legislators. 

Contributors to this story include Rebecca Simkins Nowak, Meghan Petiprin, and Jennifer Williams