Newsletter Vol. 6 No. 8

October 2024

Incoming Executive Director:

Taylor Pacheco

For nearly a year, Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity has conducted a thorough and deliberative search for a full-time Executive Director to lead the organization and position us to best respond to the needs of individuals affected by the criminal justice system well into the future. The staff and board of PLSE are elated to announce that Taylor Pacheco, Esq. is returning to the organization as our Executive Director. Pacheco originally joined PLSE in September of 2019 as a staff attorney and quickly rose to Deputy Executive Director in 2021. 

“We are greatly honored and excited that Taylor is coming back to PLSE,” said Ryan Hancock, Esq, PLSE co-founder and chair of the Board of Directors. “Taylor’s wealth of experience, her wisdom, insight, and dedication to social justice and equality will serve to help PLSE accomplish our mission and provide the much-needed services and support to those seeking second chances.”

Pacheco started her career in Trenton, New Jersey as an assistant Deputy Public Defender, then moved to Philadelphia to serve as a staff attorney for the Support Center for Child Advocates. Most recently, she was the Associate Director of Public Interest Fellowships and Government Career Pathway at the University of Pennsylvania’s Carey Law School. 

“I’m excited to rejoin and lead the PLSE team and continue to support the important mission-driven work of the organization,” commented Pacheco. “Mass incarceration has resulted in hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians having criminal records that hurt them, their families, and neighborhoods for generations. We’ll continue to work to uplift communities and individuals most affected by social justice inequities.”

To celebrate Pacheco rejoining the PLSE team, an individual giving campaign has been created in her honor. Please visit http://plsephilly.org/donate/ to donate. 

Outgoing Executive Director, Board Member: Lisa Campbell

Have you been denied a professional or occupational license in Pennsylvania due to a criminal conviction, or have you avoided applying because of one? As of October 2024, the licensing rules have changed significantly!

Under the new law, a conviction must be directly related to the job or license you're seeking. In most cases, if the conviction is more than five years old, it cannot be used to deny a license unless it’s proven to be directly relevant to the essential duties of the job. You’ll have the opportunity to present evidence showing you deserve the license despite your conviction.

Exceptions apply to convictions involving sex offenses, serious violence, or drug trafficking, and the rules vary if your conviction occurred within the last five years. However, the “good moral character” requirement has been eliminated.

Each profession has a shorter list of disqualifying crimes than before. If your conviction appears on this list, you can still argue that your case is unique and you deserve the license. Professions with specific disqualifying crimes include accountants, doctors, nurses, realtors, and others.

There’s also a new, easy-to-use guide to check if your conviction may impact your eligibility. A preliminary determination costs $45, but the fee is waived for those with low incomes. You can find more information here: For more details, visit the PA Department of State website or consult an attorney.  

The Lancaster County Pardon Project is excited to announce that it was named the recipient for a $10,000.00 grant from the Lancaster Law Foundation. The Pardon Project of Lancaster County has held clinics at over a dozen locations since its founding in 2021. Its principal Hub is Zion Community Services of Pennsylvania and its leader is Mary Hoskins, MPA, Zion’s Executive Director.

If you are in the Lancaster area, please attend the Lancaster County Pardon Project’s 1st Annual Symposium on October 19th from 10 AM to 4 PM at the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce. You can learn more by emailing pardonmelancaster@gmail.com or calling Zion Community Services at (717) 951-2388. 

PLSE hit the ground running this fall with two-weekend record clearing clinics. On September 14th, we hosted a record clearing clinic in collaboration with City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier at Community of Compassion Community Development Corporation on the 6100 block of Cedar Avenue. Thank you to Councilmember Gauthier and Community of Compassion for hosting us.

City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier

We’d also like to thank our new volunteer Sydney Edelson for assisting with intakes. Sydney is Program Coordinator of DEI and Community Engagement at The University of Pennsylvania's School of Nursing and a Case Manager at the Penn Foundation’s Centers of Excellence for Opioid Use Disorder. Thank you, Sydney - we look forward to having you at future clinics.

On September 21st, we hosted a clinic with longtime partner Uplift Solutions at North10’s Lenfest Center in Hunting Park. Thank you to North10 and Uplift for your partnership and commitment to serving Philadelphians with criminal records. If you are interested in volunteering at our intake clinics, please email Patrick Jackson Keough at keough@plsephilly.org.