Hello Friends of Legal Aid!

April is Second Chance Month - a great time to share about new beginnings thanks to criminal record expungement.

"Archie" in our featured client story is one of many individuals who have benefitted from our help in getting their record cleared - bringing a fresh chance to secure housing and jobs, and often a renewed sense of self-worth. For Archie, expungement removed barriers to the job he wanted, and now he's happy to be serving others in the community.

Read on for that story, info on our free estate planning clinics in Holland (4/23) and Muskegon (5/7), and a Donuts & The Law recap.

“Archie” wanted to help seniors in his community and had applied to work with a local nonprofit. But there would be a background check and Archie had some past misdemeanors on his record that were listed as felonies due to the age of his convictions. He ran into difficulties trying to get them expunged on his own, so he called his nearest Legal Aid of Western Michigan office for help.

Over the following weeks, our staff were able to get Archie’s record straightened out, working cooperatively with the court and the Michigan Attorney General to determine what the actual charges had been and get these long-past mistakes expunged through Michigan’s Clean Slate laws.

Archie is now happy to be working for a program that serves people with disabilities, seniors, and others with limited access to services. Thanks to the expungements and the help we provided, he is writing a new chapter to his story and giving back to the community in tangible ways.

Our next free estate planning clinics will be:

• Holland: April 23, 10am at Holland Charter Township Center

• Muskegon: May 7, 10am at United Way of the Lakeshore

We'll share info about estate planning, and eligible participants can meet with an attorney to discuss their needs.

Download the HOLLAND flyer in English and Spanish

Download the MUSKEGON flyer in English and Spanish

Big thanks to everyone who came to our recent Donuts & The Law trainings on Tenants' Rights and to our partner agencies who hosted the events! Donuts & The Law will be back in the fall with trainings on family law.

Pictured clockwise from L: Meg Bauer presenting in our Kalamazoo office , Maddie Bellew presenting at United Way of the Lakeshore in Muskegon, and Molly Patton presenting at Heart of West Michigan United Way in Grand Rapids .

St. Joseph

(Berrien County)

901 Port St

St. Joseph, MI 49085

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