“I had been turned down for three apartments because of something from when I was nineteen. Nobody made me feel small. They just told me the steps and did them.”
Odetta F.Cleared a misdemeanor
Free legal clinic · Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Let's get your record out of the way.
An old arrest or conviction can still decide who gets the apartment, the job or the keys. We're a free clinic in Harrisburg: if you qualify, we check what can be cleared, file the paperwork and go with you to the hearing. No fee, no lecture.
- No fee for our workFree if you qualify
- A free first talkWhether or not we take your case
- Saturdays, 9am to 1pmWalk in, no appointment
Free means no fee for the clinic's work. If a court charges a filing fee, we help you ask the judge to waive it and tell you the amount before anything is filed.
Start with the worry
What is it getting in the way of?
Most people don't call about a charge. They call about a lease, a school pickup or a job. Pick yours.
My home
Landlords and lenders run background checks. We look at what shows up and whether it can be cleared, so an old charge stops deciding who gets the keys.
Homes and background checksMy kids
School volunteering, coaching and child-care work often ask about records. We check what shows and what can go, so you can be there.
What expungement coversMy car
A record can stand between you and a driver's license, a delivery or rideshare job, or a commercial permit. We find what is in the way.
Licenses and permitsMy paycheck
Applications ask, and a pulled offer is the worst way to find out. We start with what the employer will actually see.
Clearing a recordMy classes
Some programs, placements and aid forms ask about your record. Sealing can keep an old case out of view while you finish.
How sealing worksMy name
If a court cannot clear a conviction, a pardon may still be open. It takes longer, and we will be straight with you about the odds.
About pardons
Before you call
First questions, first answers
Do I have to pay?
Not for our work, if you qualify. A court may charge a filing fee. We help you ask the judge to waive it when you cannot pay, and we tell you any amount before we file.
How do I know if I qualify?
Two things count: your household income, and the kind of record you have. Whether a record can be cleared depends on the charge, how it ended, how long ago, and your state's rules. We look it up, so you don't have to know the answer before you call.
What if I don't remember everything on my record?
That's common, and it's fine. We start by pulling your record so we work from the real list. Bring photo ID, and any court papers you still have.
Will it disappear from every background check?
A cleared record is usually removed from court and police systems and from most checks. Some agencies keep access, and some data companies are slow to update. We help you ask them to correct it.
Do I have to go to court?
Sometimes there is a hearing and sometimes not. If there is one, we prepare you for it and one of our lawyers goes with you.
How it starts
It starts with a talk, not a form.
Sit down with a lawyer or a trained volunteer, say what has been in the way, and leave knowing what can be done. That first talk is free, whether or not we can take your case.
We pull your record, so you don't have to remember it
You hear what can be cleared, what can't, and why
You get a plain written plan
No pressure to decide that day
From people we have helped
What it felt like on the other side
“The Saturday clinic was the first time I talked about it out loud without being judged. I left with a plan and a date.”
Shamar R.Walked in on a Saturday
“I thought the pardon was a long shot, and they said so. They also stayed with it the whole way.”
Odalis M.Applied for a pardon
Sample quotes, written for this template. Each person's case is different, and what happened for one person does not predict what will happen for you.
Come in on a Saturday, or call this week.
Tell us what the record is costing you. We'll take it from there, for free if you qualify.
Free means no fee for the clinic's work. If a court charges a filing fee, we help you ask the judge to waive it and tell you the amount before anything is filed.