The Expungement Project grew out of the Law, Technology, and Public Policy class at the UMKC School of Law, and developed as a partnership with Code for KC, the Kansas City Brigade of Code for America. It is designed to assist individuals who may be eligible for expungement of criminal offenses but who cannot afford the normal charges for a lawyer. It now includes an important collaboration with the Jackson County Prosecutor's Office and its Smart Prosecution Initiative Strategic Plan.
The Project seeks to make information about expungement and the process for obtaining it more understandable to the community at large and more accessible by creating an easily understandable website and developing technology to make the interview process and preparation of documents more efficient, allowing pro and low bono providers to serve the large number of people needing expungement in order to facilitate employment, housing, social services, and other basic needs. Under the direction of Dean Emerita and Professor of Law Ellen Suni, UMKC students and volunteer lawyers will determine eligibility for expungement, use technology to prepare the documents necessary to file in Court, and provide representation to those who need it. In addition, the Project will work with prosecutors, defense lawyers, and others knowledgeable in the field to propose needed changes to the law.
Updates/News (June 2023)
A major milestone for the Clear My Record (CMR) Project was the creation of the UMKC Expungement Clinic, which provides a transformative platform to support individuals in their pursuit of second chances. In the Clinic, law students gain valuable hands-on experience as they collaborate with seasoned attorneys and educators to help people determine their eligibility for expungement and obtain representation in litigating their expungement claims. Together, they champion the cause of a more equitable, efficient, and accessible expungement system in Missouri. Through direct representation, the Clinic ensures that individuals who lack the financial means to hire an attorney receive the legal assistance they need. Moreover, through a new and expanding initiative, the Clinic serves as a vital link between individuals and community resources, fostering connections that pave the way for comprehensive support.
Another significant milestone for CMR was the receipt of a generous $700,000 three-year grant from the Missouri Foundation for Health in 2021. It has enabled UMKC School of Law to engage in important policy work to make expungement in Missouri more fair, effective, and accessible. The Project conducts research and engages individuals, organizations, and government entities in working groups to identify issues and propose solutions to improve the expungement process. It relies heavily on information derived from legal and interdisciplinary research as well as researching the criminal records of more than 1000 people who have applied for assistance in order to find gaps in the system and attempt to resolve them. Work done by the Project has already assisted in legislative change, and a new bill making significant positive changes has passed and is sitting on the Governor’s desk to (hopefully) be signed.
Work on the grant has also led to an expansion in the Project’s focus. Rather than seeing limitations in expungement law as the thing to be fixed, CMR realizes that expungement is really a tool, and that the real problem is the devastating collateral consequences that impact the lives of people with criminal records. The Project’s approach going forward will focus on those collateral consequences and develop strategies, including an improved expungement process, to effectively address those consequences, thereby positively affecting the lives and health of people throughout Missouri.
In addition to its advocacy efforts, the CMR Project places great emphasis on developing and leveraging technology to streamline the expungement process. By embracing both direct representation and automation, the Project strives to enhance efficiency, ultimately leading to automation of much of the process statewide and ensuring a smoother and more successful journey for individuals seeking to clear their records.
The Clear My Record Project - Student Presentation 20193.15 MB