A free legal clinic and reentry resources and job fair will be held Jan. 22 at Cleveland Public Library’s Brooklyn branch.

The event will run from noon to 2 p.m. The CPL’s Brooklyn campus is at 3706 Pearl Road,Cleveland. Pre-registration is recommended but not required. Attendees may pre-register by clicking on this link.

At the legal clinic, attendees will be able to get help with legal issues including those involving expungements, record sealing and active warrants. They can also get help with filing a Certificate of Qualification for Employment. A person with a felony or misdemeanor can apply to the Court of Common Pleas for a CQE, which can lift restrictions to employment that result from specific types of convictions. It also protects employers who knowingly hire CQE holders from negligent hiring lawsuits.  

The event will be similar to a one-stop shop where attendees can get legal help, assistance with resume writing and learn about workforce development programs, including those offered by the library, said Emily Szymanski, CPL’s manager of workforce development. The library’s programs include small business support, financial literacy, career readiness and preparation for the high school equivalency (GED) exam.

At next Thursday’s event, a few employers will be recruiting. Several organizations that provide services to justice-impacted individuals, including those offering help with finding employment and housing, will be part of the event. 

Cuyahoga County’s Office of Reentry is holding the event because of its philosophy that people shouldn’t have to navigate the “welcome home” process of reentry alone, said Chamomile Hendricks, the office’s communications manager.

“We host these events because it’s the best way to get lawyers, employers and real help all in the same room at the same time,” she said. “This is more than just a resource fair. It’s about neighbors looking out for neighbors.“

This free legal clinic will offer help with expungements and record sealing

Record sealing and expungements are popular at reentry legal clinics, Hendricks said.

Khalida Sims Jackson, director of Cleveland State University College of Law’s Pardon, Clemency & Reentry Clinic, explained the difference between record sealing and expungement. Jackson, who will run the legal clinic at the event, likened expungements to a paper shredder and record sealing to a lock box.

“It’s like a paper shredder in that an expungement is the complete destruction of the record,” said Jackson, who is also an adjunct professor at the law school. “A record sealing is like a lockbox in that it’s not a destruction of the record, but it’s [record] kept in a place where only certain people have access to it.”

Those with access to a sealed criminal record include law enforcement and the courts. Most first- and second-degree felonies, such as aggravated murder and rape, are not eligible for record sealing or expungement. 

The legal clinic at the event will only deal with offenses that occurred in Ohio.   Attendees need to bring as much information as they can regarding their case(s), Jackson said. She said they also need to bring something that is not tangible.

“People need to come with an open mind, patience and understanding that this is going to be a process,” she said. 

Attendees won’t leave the event with an expungement or their record sealed. They will have signed up for what could be a process that can last for months.

“I think also people need to come with the understanding that they may be told something they’re not ready to hear, meaning that they may be deemed ineligible,” Jackson said.

Attendees at a Reentry event speak with representatives from organizations that can help them. The representives sit or stand behind tables with flyers and other literature.
Attendees at a previous reentry event visit tables of organizations offering programs and assistance. Credit: Photo courtesy Cuyahoga County Office of Reentry

Some companies hiring justice-impacted individuals

In addition to CPL, CSU College of Law and the county’s Office of Reentry, these are the other businesses, governmental entities, schools and organizations that will be offering information or providing services:

  • Aspire
  • Case Western Reserve University Second Chance Reentry Clinic
  • City of Cleveland
  • Center for Employment Opportunities
  • Central State University
  • Cuyahoga Community College
  • Cuyahoga County Public Defender’s Office
  • Digital C
  • Goodwill
  • Greater Cleveland Works
  • JumpStart
  • Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
  • MAGNET
  • North Star Neighborhood Reentry Resource Center
  • Passages Connecting Fathers and Families
  • Towards Employment
  • Third Federal Savings and Loan

These are the companies that will be recruiting. The event’s organizers didn’t have any information about the positions that are available.

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Economics Reporter (she/her)
Economics is often thought of as a lofty topic, but it shouldn’t be. My goal is to offer a street-level view of economics. My focus is on how the economy affects the lives of Greater Clevelanders. My areas of coverage include jobs, housing, entrepreneurship, unions, wealth inequality and pocketbook issues such as inflation.