Veteran’s Expunction and Orders of Non-Disclosure Legal Clinic

Here’s your opportunity to help Veterans change their lives. It just takes a few minutes, to share this information. Veterans who have received the no-cost legal services through our program, who were homeless at the time of the legal clinic, are now working and living in apartments after their legal issues were resolved with assistance from our program and the pro bono attorneys. One Veteran is now a firefighter after his criminal arrest record was expunged. Another Veteran who was homeless was able to obtain housing after his order of nondisclosure was granted.

Metroplex Veterans Legal Services is conducting a Veteran’s Expunction and Orders of Non-Disclosure Legal Clinic at Kirkland & Ellis LLP on June 7, 2017, at 4:00pm.  This clinic is a partnership with the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

An Expunction removes all records of an arrest and/or subsequent court case from the public record and the individual may legally deny or fail to acknowledge ever having been arrested for or charged with any crime which has been expunged. A record of an arrest without a conviction is a barrier for employment.  An order of nondisclosure is a legal remedy available to people who successfully complete deferred adjudication probation, in which a Texas court orders that your criminal history on a particular case be sealed from public view.  A criminal history can be a barrier for housing.

Metroplex Veterans Legal Services offers single issue legal clinics to Veterans on a pro bono basis.  Our legal clinics focus on removing the legal barriers to employment for Veterans, and assisting disabled Veterans to obtain military disability benefits. The goal of our clinics is to provide free legal counsel and advice to low income, unemployed, homeless, disabled, elderly, or at risk for homelessness Veterans for outstanding traffic tickets, warrants from tickets, and driver’s license issues caused by tickets; child support modification; expunction of criminal arrests; bankruptcy; consumer fraud; VA disability benefit appeals; and combat related special compensation. These unpaid traffic tickets, and delinquent child support can lead to suspended driver’s licenses, which can lead to barriers for these Veterans to obtain employment.

The pro bono legal resources for Veterans have been very scarce prior to the commencement of our program.  According to a recent Washington Post article, new research shows the one reason so many Veterans are homeless:  They can’t afford lawyers. The research shows that Veterans are losing their homes and missing out on crucial benefits because they lack legal aid. With nearly 50,000 Veterans sleeping on the streets each night, it’s clear we are failing to serve those who have served our country. But the solution isn’t as obvious as it might seem. Veterans don’t need simply more doctors and shelter beds; new research shows that Veterans need lawyers to fight on their behalf as well. According to a new study from the Department of Veterans Affairs, at least five out of the top 10 problems leading to homelessness among Veterans cannot be solved without legal help.  Our legal clinics address three of these unmet legal needs, for child support modification, restoring driver’s licenses, and legal assistance for warrants and fines.

The clinic will be held on June 7, 2017, at 4:00 pm, at the law firm of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.  The address is 600 Travis Street, Suite 3300, Houston, TX 77002.  The Veterans must register on-line in advance of the clinic at greaterhouston.veteranslegalservices.us.