CSUB, local attorneys offer chance at a fresh start

Free clinic will help people clear their records of convictions

By California State University, Bakersfield

April 10^th, 2024

The California State University, Bakersfield Legal Information & Support Clinic Program is offering a free expungement clinic to all members of the community next month.

The clinic will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Friday, May 10, at 2204 Q St. in Bakersfield to give people with felonies or misdemeanors on their record the chance for a fresh start. Assistance will be provided in English and Spanish.

Local attorneys will volunteer their time and services under a limited-scope agreement and evaluate expungement cases pertaining only to Kern County on a first-come, first-served basis. Clients need a valid photo ID, case number(s), information on whether the case(s) are misdemeanors or felonies, time spent in custody and other relevant information related to the charges.

“The CSUB Legal Information & Support Clinic was established three years ago with the mission of providing low- to no-cost legal services to those who need them in the community,” said Dr. Jeanine Kraybill, director of the Pre-Law Program at CSUB. “Kern County is a legal desert, meaning we have more people in need of legal assistance than we have attorneys. The clinic focuses on criminal law, housing discrimination, immigration, family law, employment law and also self-help services at the Kern County Superior Court law library.”

The first CSUB Legal Information & Support Clinic was held last year and served 107 clients, helping to clear hundreds of charges through the expungement process, giving people an opportunity to secure gainful employment and put their records behind them.

The CSUB Legal Information & Support Clinic is unique as undergraduates usually do not get this type of hands-on experience working with lawyers until they are in law school,” Dr. Kraybill said. “Though CSU Chico has had a legal clinic for decades, it is operated on campus, while CSU Bakersfield's program goes out into the community, where the need is. Our students work side by side in the field with attorneys helping those who are the most marginalized and in need of legal services.”