Georgia Justice Project: General Pardon Clinic
Saturday, September 09 2023
Project Description:
Georgia Justice Project is seeking a small group of student volunteers to help low-income clients break down barriers to employment, housing, and occupational licensing caused by their criminal record. Student volunteers will assist clients with preparing applications for a general pardon. A pardon is a certificate of rehabilitation that is granted by the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles. While a pardon alone does not expunge a conviction from someone’s record, a new law went into effect last year that creates a path to expungement after a case has been pardoned.
On the morning of Saturday, September 9th, students will meet with a GJP client at the GJP office to begin the process of preparing the pardon application. The student will assist a client with filling out the biographical section of the application, as well as getting information on what court documents are needed. Afterwards, students will work together with the clients to obtain necessary court documents over the following 3 weeks.
How to Sign Up:
1. If you are interested in this opportunity, please send a copy of your resume and a short letter indicating why you are interested in the Pardon Clinic to Erin Donohue-Koehler (she/her) at erin@gjp.org. Please submit these documents by Tuesday, September 5th. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Erin.
2. Erin will send you any necessary training to complete ahead of the clinic date.
Contact Erin Donohue-Koehler (she/her) at erin@gjp.org for further information, details, or questions about this project.
After the Project:
Be sure to track your hours here on Track It Forward (click on Log Hours tab at the top of the page) AND track your hours on Inside Law for credit towards your graduation distinction. You can track your hours on Inside Law here: https://law.gsu.edu/student-experience/pro-bono-service-in-the-community/. Click on the blue "Log Pro Bono Hours" button. If you have any questions about logging your hours, please email probono@gsu.edu.
Contact the event organizers: GSU COL Pro Bono Program