“I really appreciate the Lawyers Clearinghouse [for] getting Crispin in my life.”
– Alexander*, CORI Clinic Client“Even in our enlightened Massachusetts society, there are lots and lots of people who are left behind; are not counted.”
– Crispin Birnbaum, Access to Justice Fellow and CORI Clinic Consultant
Alexander, a veteran, was seeking assistance sealing his criminal record when he first attended a Lawyers Clearinghouse CORI Sealing & Expungement Clinic in the spring of 2024. Though his record contained dismissed charges, it burdened him for over twenty years, preventing him from specific employment opportunities and a comfortable life.
Through the CORI Clinic, Alexander was connected with a legal advocate, Crispin Birnbaum, a Clearinghouse Access to Justice Fellow who helped found the clinic and continues to train and mentor volunteers.
Crispin reviewed Alexander’s criminal record and discussed potential legal remedies with him. She then helped Alexander file a petition for administrative sealing, a way of sealing one’s criminal record without meeting a judge or attending a hearing. Crispin and Alexander mailed the petition out and, 16 weeks later, the Massachusetts Probation Service notified Alexander that everything on his record was eligible for sealing.
Because they could seal his entire record in Massachusetts, Crispin was also able to help Alexander seal his criminal record at a federal level. Alexander was pleased to have his record sealed at two levels.
Crispin says a goal in the future is for Massachusetts to pass legislation to require automatic criminal record sealing and determine eligibility electronically. She is also one of the proponents of a bill to institute “immediate” sealing of non-convictions.
Alexander is happy to have his records sealed but says he’s still not letting his guard down. Today, he works for himself, lives more comfortably, and avoids trouble at any cost.
The CORI Sealing & Expungement Clinic is a free program helping individuals in Massachusetts seal or expunge their criminal records. Need assistance? Learn more and sign up here.
* Client’s name changed to protect privacy.
