On Saturday, March 2, 2019, the Louisville Urban League hosted the Second Annual Reily Reentry Program Expungement Clinic at Roosevelt Perry Elementary. Nearly 100 volunteers from local law firms, including Wyatt, the University of Louisville Brandeis School of Law, the Louisville Urban League and Legal Aid gathered to process cases and help community members expunge their records. The expungement clinic, which is believed to be the largest ever held in Louisville, was named in honor of Urban League board member Stephen Reily for his generous donation to offset the significant cost of expungements.

Research shows that expunging one’s record allows applicants to make on average $6,000 more per year, while also restoring the right to vote, to apply for tuition assistance, to volunteer at their child’s school and to find better jobs and housing.

The expungement process is just a band aid effort, and as noted by Louisville Urban League President Sadiqa Reynolds, “what we really need is policy change.” There are currently two bills pending in the Kentucky legislature which would improve the expungement process.

Stephen Reily posted information about the expungement clinic on Twitter and the Louisville Urban League posted highlights of the day, which can be found here.

Wyatt would like to extend its gratitude to each one of the volunteers. Thanks to you, the Reily Reentry Project continues to be a huge success.