This past summer, three second-year law students—Aisha Bah, Brianne Blain, and Eunji Kim—interned at the Notre Dame Clinical Law Center. In addition to handling litigation and transactional matters, their internship involved collaborating with the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office to assist clients in petitioning for the expungement of prior offenses.
The students evaluated and prepared applications for more than 60 individuals seeking expungement. Some of the cases involved crimes committed as far back as the 1970s.
Notre Dame Law students have a history of involvement with expungement work. In early 2021, several students prepared petitions for hundreds of people. Earlier this year, Notre Dame Black Law Students Association members volunteered to accept applications for expungement for more than 200 people. They are planning another expungement clinic for this spring.
Priding itself on experiential and service learning opportunities like these, Notre Dame Law School has created opportunities for students to work on pro bono legal matters since the 1960s. This project is just one example of how students contribute to enhancing the accessibility of legal services.
Order of St. Thomas More members contribute to this mission by investing in the next generation of Notre Dame lawyers and their experiential learning opportunities.