As an intern with the Toledo Legal Aid Society, Cierra Lee works with clients facing criminal charges. She helps them navigate the series of motions and in-court hearings that build toward an ultimate resolution of their case — often a plea deal or a verdict at trial.
But that resolution doesn’t necessarily resolve the myriad challenges that come with a criminal record. Her clients might now find themselves unable to sign a lease or land a job, let alone enter a career field that requires professional licensure.
Cierra Lee, a third-year student at the College of Law, is one of four law students enrolled in the first semester of the Beyond Conviction Clinic.
“They’re rehabilitated, they’ve served their time, and they’re trying to turn their lives around,” Lee said. “Their past shouldn’t stop them from bettering themselves.”
That’s the idea behind a new clinic at The University of Toledo College of Law.
By connecting law students with clients seeking to obtain certificates of qualification for employment or housing, to seal or expunge criminal records, or to apply for an expedited pardon from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, the College of Law’s Beyond Conviction Clinic offers an impactful community service while preparing students for successful careers.
“This is an opportunity to train students and meet community needs,” said Maggie Humphrey, who heads the Beyond Conviction Clinic as an adjunct professor of law and director of training and outreach for the Toledo Legal Aid Society. “It will give our students a chance to see the many ways a criminal record can affect a person’s life — including employment, housing and education, voting, family relationships and participation in society. We’ll examine how the consequences of having a criminal record can extend far beyond the completion of a sentence and continue to shape a person’s life long afterward.”
The Beyond Conviction Clinic is a partnership with the Toledo Legal Aid Society, which operates as the public defender’s office for Lucas County, and it aligns with the Governor’s Expedited Pardon Project, which DeWine launched in 2019 to streamline the pardon application process for eligible Ohioans.
Toledo Law became the latest partner in that statewide initiative in February.
The clinic also reflects the broader priorities of the College of Law.
“Toledo Law is committed to community engagement, public service and preparing students to address real-world legal challenges through experience-based learning opportunities,” Dean Rebecca Zietlow said. “Our Beyond Conviction Clinic joins a robust roster of clinics and externships that support our region’s legal needs while presenting our students with invaluable opportunities for hands-on learning.”
As one of four law students enrolled in the first semester of the Beyond Conviction Clinic, Lee splits her time between Main Campus and the downtown Toledo office of the Toledo Legal Aid Society.
At the former she digs into the collateral consequences of criminal records affecting employment, housing, education, professional licensing and civic participation, with Humphrey guiding her and her classmates to fully appreciate all the reasons that clients may request their services. For them, a legal remedy like a pardon or expungement may expand their access to opportunity, stability and full participation in community life.
At the latter she meets with those clients during her once-a-week office hours. After conducting interviews to understand their past and present, she identifies an appropriate form of post-conviction relief, explains the process to the client and ultimately drafts the motions that they will need to represent themselves in the legal system.
Humphrey or Josh Begg, an attorney with the Toledo Legal Aid Society and a recent alumnus of the College of Law, reviews and supervises all motions prepared and represents clients pursuing pardons with the assistance of clinic students.
With the Toledo Legal Aid Society routinely fielding requests for assistance with forms of post-conviction relief like the ones students will tackle through the Beyond Conviction Clinic, Humphrey expects a significant demand for their services.
“Our clients are living in poverty. They’re not in a position to hire an attorney,” she said. “By training more students to do this kind of work, this clinic is going to have a positive impact on the community.”
Lee joined the clinic with several semesters of experience already behind her as an intern with the Toledo Legal Aid Society. An undergraduate alumna of UToledo, she had enrolled in the College of Law with an interest in criminal law stretching back to childhood episodes of “Law & Order,” and her client-facing experience only strengthened her desire to pursue a career as a public defender in Lucas County.
The Beyond Conviction Clinic presents a new perspective on her work at the Toledo Legal Aid Society — a chance to support clients not only through their active cases, but through the lingering consequences of even a minor criminal offense.
Lee had already completed one set of motions by the end of her first week.
“It’s rewarding knowing that I’m helping somebody turn their life around,” she said.
