Expungement lawyers in Illinois

Firm: Rights and Restoration Law Group, LLC

1945 S. Halsted St. Suite 200 , Chicago , Illinois 60608 Zip code: 60608

Practice Areas: Expungement

I became a lawyer because I wanted to make a difference in the world and fight against discriminatory policies and unjust laws. Since becoming a lawyer in 2005, I have had the honor and privilege to practice in an area of law that allowed me to work alongside clients to restore their rights and partner with advocates and organizations to change the laws and practices that took those rights away in the first place: removing barriers caused by arrests and convictions.. I started my career in legal aid, where I worked for fourteen years, before co-founding our social justice law firm, Rights and Restoration Law Group, in 2019. When I first became a lawyer, “criminal records” law was more of a novelty and not one that many attorneys practiced in. Not only was I able to represent thousands of clients in all areas of criminal records mitigation through courts and administrative proceedings, I also supervised and trained program staff and hundreds of pro bono attorneys to learn this area of law and provide compassionate representation to clients.. For the past ten years, I worked alongside individuals, coalitions, and organizations to change laws that result in a lifetime of barriers, successfully passing thirteen bills, including expanding and improving Illinois’ expungement and sealing laws, removing barriers to employment in specific industries, and increasing protections for people with past arrests and convictions. I’ve traveled the state to build capacity of different jurisdictions to provide criminal records services, including, Rockford, Peoria, Champaign, Danville, Bloomington, and Kankakee, and represent clients throughout the State of Illinois.. When someone comes to me or my firm, they should know we approach every case with your goal in mind – what is it that you need, and how can we work alongside you to get to that goal. We walk you through every option available so you understand the laws and process and can make an informed decision on what path to take.

Firm: The Law Office of Charvis R. Walker, Ltd.

9 S County St , Waukegan , Illinois 60085 Zip code: 60085

Practice Areas: Expungement

GRADUATE OF PROVIDENCE ST. MEL HIGH SCHOOL IN 1994.. GRADUATE OF BRADLEY UNIVERSITY IN 1998.. GRADUATE OF DEPAUL COLLEGE OF LAW IN 2001.. WORKED FOR CHICAGO BOARD OF EDUCATION AS A PROSECUTOR FOR STUDENT EXPULSION HEARINGS.. WORKED AS AN ASSOCIATE ATTORNEY FOR SMITH & LALUZERNE, IN WAUKEGAN IL.. IN PRIVATE PRACTICE SINCE 2006 DOING CRIMINAL DEFENSE, EXPUNGMENTS, DRIVER'S LICENSE REINSTATEMENT, AND DIVORCE.

Firm: Rights and Restoration Law Group, LLC

1945 S Halsted St Ste 200 , Chicago , Illinois 60608 Zip code: 60608

Practice Areas: Expungement

I will fight for you to regain your rights and maintain your dignity after arrest. My work with you starts by listening to your goals and taking the time to explain your legal options. Together we will determine what legal remedies are available for your situation and can best position you so that the past does not close doors to your future.. I am an attorney for people that have been arrested in Illinois, some recently and some many years ago. I represent people that have old cases causing them issues, people with new pending charges, and those that are currently in prison. I’ve focused my entire legal career on working with people impacted by the criminal legal system, and have been representing clients with criminal records since 2011. Before co-founding my current social justice law firm, Rights and Restoration Law Group, I worked for community-based organizations and nonprofits.. Because I truly believe that someone’s prior record is not representative of who they are today, I represent clients regardless of the types of arrests and convictions on their background. This includes people who have faced the smallest misdemeanor charges or the most serious of violent felony offenses. There are five guiding principles to how I think about my work as an attorney advocate: #1. We have all made mistakes in our lives; #2. Change is possible; #3. The ongoing punishments - like loss of job opportunities, housing denials, and loss of constitutional rights - faced by people with arrests and convictions are fundamentally unfair; #4. There are people that end up in trouble merely because of the neighborhood in which they live or how they look; and #5. Every person and every case is unique even when things might look similar, which means every client deserves an individualized review and approach to their case.

Firm: The Law Office of Jason B Stevens

102 N Evergreen Ave Suite 220 , Arlington Heights , Illinois 60004 Zip code: 60004

Practice Areas: Expungement

In 2002 I completed an externship with the Cook County Public Defender's Office.  At the time I was still attending the John Marshall Law School but I obtained my 711 license which enabled me to represent clients while I was still a law student.. After I graduated from law school and passed the bar exam I immediately went into private criminal defense and I never regreted it.  I have always found criminal defense work to be fun and rewarding.  My approach to criminal defense starts with an analysis of the allegations in the charging document.  I review the discovery and ascertain whether there is sufficient evidence to prove the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.  May standard approach is to do a risk reward analysis with my client and help them decide whether they want to go to trial.. My objective is the same in all cases.  I aspire to accomplish the goals of my clients.

Firm: The Law Office of Jorie K. Johnson, LLC

4300 Commerce Court , Lisle , Illinois 60532 Zip code: 60532

Practice Areas: Expungement

Criminal defense lawyers provide an essential service to the public and I feel privileged to be part of that community. Specifically with regard to criminal records law, I have come to realize that people desperately need help in cleaning off their past records in order to obtain employment, housing, professional licensure, restore previously forfeited rights, etc. I came to realize early on in my career that not very many Illinois attorneys focus on this important area of the law, and this was one of the main reasons I launched my own firm in February 2010. Even worse, I saw many instances of bad or erroneous legal advice being given to criminal defendants in this highly nuanced area of law. I quickly realized that there was an opportunity for a boutique law firm such as mine to develop and thrive. More importantly, I saw an opportunity to help individuals better themselves both personally and professionally. I am honored to be able to provide this invaluable service to my fellow Illinois citizens. I take great pride in my expungement, sealing and clemency petitions alike and have a proven track record of success with each type of petition.. Over the years I have grown my practice to include representation for individuals charged with a wide range of criminal offenses, from traffic tickets to misdemeanors to felonies, violent or otherwise. I have negotiated many favorable plea deals and tried multiple cases, depending upon each individual client's wants and needs.. I also work with individuals looking more specifically to restore their firearms ownership rights/privileges by preparing denial and revocation appeals to the Illinois State Police's FOID Card Review Board (previously ISP's Director of State Police.). Please do not hesitate to reach out me if you are in need of one or more of these services. I promise I will fight for you and I hope you can become one of my many satisfied clients!