Expunging and Sealing Criminal Records and Background Checks in the State of Illinois

Janaan Hashim
Janaan Hashim | Amal Law Group

Attorney Janaan Hashim started her legal career as an Illinois Assistant Appellate Defender before entering private practice with Amal Law Group, the first firm in the U.S. founded by six Muslim women of which Janaan was a co-founder.

On-Demand: March 31, 2022

$95.00 1 hour CLE

MCLE Credit Information:

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Program Summary

Ranging from a simple release without being charge to felony conviction, sealing and expunging criminal records in Illinois involves more than just filling out a form and hoping for the best. In this CLE, attendees will understand the statutory rules and time periods imposed; the legal analyses involved; the role of the different parties involved; how to successfully argue at the evidentiary hearings; and what happens after a petition is granted.

Key topics to be discussed:

  • Background checks
  • Legal analysis and preparing the petition
  • The hearing: what to expect and what to argue
  • What to expect after the Order is granted, the attorney’s responsibilities, and new rights afforded to the successful client

Date / Time: March 31, 2022

  • 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
  • 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm Central
  • 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm Mountain
  • 11:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific

Choose a format:

Live Video Broadcast/Re-Broadcast: Watch Program "live" in real-time, must sign-in and watch program on date and time set above. May ask questions during presentation via chat box. Qualifies for "live" CLE credit.

On-Demand Video: Access CLE 24/7 via on-demand library and watch program anytime. Qualifies for self-study CLE credit. On-demand versions are made available 5 business days after the original recording date and are viewable for up to one year.

Closed-captioning available

Speakers

Janaan Hashim_myLawCLEJanaan Hashim | Amal Law Group

Attorney Janaan Hashim started her legal career as an Illinois Assistant Appellate Defender before entering private practice with Amal Law Group, the first firm in the U.S. founded by six Muslim women of which Janaan was a co-founder. In 2015 Janaan began volunteering with Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) where she provided legal assistance in CGLA’s criminal records division.

With CGLA, Janaan prepared petitions and offered legal consultations to hundreds of pro se litigants and also provided representation at hearings. During this time, she shifted her private practice to post-conviction relief while adding civil rights matters where she now handles ADA, ADEA, Title VII, and Sections 1981 and 1983 matters. In 2021, the judges of the US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois presented Janaan with an Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service.

Agenda

I. Introduce the legal practitioner to the relevant Illinois statute and rules involving expungements and sealing of criminal records, the legal and practical differences between these two forms of relief, the legal analysis in determining what arrests and convictions qualify for which relief, if at all, and the parties involved | 2:00 pm – 2:12 pm

II. Demonstrate how to do a thorough background check to determine what parts of a client’s criminal record qualify for expunging and sealing and key facts to look for in the analysis | 2:12 pm – 2:24 pm

III. Explain how to prepare the petition, ensure it would survive statutory objections, and what additional material may be required with the filing | 2:24 pm – 2:36 pm

IV. Cover the typical bases of the State’s discretionary objections, how to argue against these at the evidentiary hearing, and what evidence to proffer in support of granting the petition, particularly in more difficult cases like domestic abuse non-convictions | 2:36 pm – 2:48 pm

V. Explore what happens once the petition is granted, what the attorney must do to ensure the entities involved comply with the judge’s Order, the various statutory rights the client now has because of the expungement or sealing of records, and what to expect should a “bad” background check disclose the expunged or sealed record | 2:48 pm – 3:00 pm