More than 40 lawyers and professionals from BGE and Exelon recently participated in a pro bono legal clinic to help residents expunge criminal records after serving their time.
They saw 139 clients, identified 88 clients with criminal records eligible for expungement and drafted 199 expungement petitions on the behalf of those clients, according to Bev Sikora, BGE assistant general counsel.
“The BGE and Exelon legal departments have partnered with local nonprofits to offer other legal clinics over the years, including immigration services and senior estate planning,” Sikora told American Gas. “We had been wanting to work with Maryland Legal Services for some time, and this was the perfect opportunity.”
Expunging a record can mean a better chance at earning a living wage and ensuring housing stability. The clinic was held at a local men’s shelter, and many of the clinic’s clients were from the shelter, Sikora said.
“Helping even just one person to be able to start fresh without the burden of a criminal record was worth it,” she said. “For many others that we couldn’t help on the spot, we were able to let them know when they would be eligible for expungement.” —Carolyn Kimmel
