Faculty Portal

Recently, nearly 40 Duke Law students volunteered alongside licensed attorneys from @legalaidnc at a free expunction clinic to help residents at TROSA, a 24-month residential recovery program located in Durham for men and women from across North Carolina, get a new start on life. “It’s a good thing, just the fact that you’re helping people out, people with families, people who never thought they would have a chance,” said Anthony Darity, of Asheville, N.C., who’s working hard to turn his life around after years lost to drug abuse. Guided by attorneys, students helped TROSA residents navigate legal documents and terminology to determine if they were eligible to expunge one or more criminal records—including both dismissed charges and older nonviolent convictions. In North Carolina, these can create a negative impression with employers, landlords, and licensing boards that makes it more difficult for people to achieve stability and access economic opportunity. Darity said he was the first in-person client for the student he met with, recalling them as “nervous,” but “confident.” 1L John Godfrey Jr. called the clinic a high point to his first semester of law school. "It was humbling to be trusted by our clients and the supervising attorneys to do meaningful work," he said. Check our link in bio to read the full story at the Duke Law website!