Legal Services

Cuyahoga Community College’s Office of Legal Services is committed to eliminate barriers to success, both inside and outside the classroom, for our students.  The Office of Legal Services is proud to announce that it will present free legal clinics for all Tri-C students who may need assistance with the criminal record expungement process and/or acquiring a Certificate of Qualification for Employment or a Certificate of Achievement and Employability.  The Office of Legal Services will also provide advice on simple legal matters or direct students to organizations which may be able to help. 

Services:

• Criminal Record Expungement: A criminal record may create barriers that make it difficult to achieve your full potential.  Sealing or expunging a criminal record can make it easier for Tri-C students to apply for jobs, housing, and school.  Attorneys from the Office of Legal Services, along with law students under their direct supervision, will assist Tri-C students through the entire expungement process, including, if necessary, representing the student before the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court at an expungement hearing.
  • Certain types of offenses are not eligible for expungement. Specifically, first and second degree felonies, violent offenses, and automobile offenses involving tampering and driving under the influence cannot be expunged. 
• Certificates: A Certificate of Qualification for Employment and a Certificate of Achievement and Employability may help open doors that otherwise would remain closed.  These certificates provide potential employers with additional information that will allow them to make hiring decisions based on your qualifications, not solely on your criminal record.
• Legal Advice: Legal matters involving landlords, employers, and utility or financial companies may present barriers to a Tri-C student’s academic success.  When possible and appropriate, the Office of Legal Services will provide Tri-C students with legal advice to address legal issues that may have a negative impact on their studies.  If the Office of Legal Services cannot provide advice, it will try to provide the student with contact information for organizations, such as the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, that may be able to help.  Attorneys from the Office of Legal Services and law students under their direct supervision will only provide legal advice and cannot serve as the student’s personal attorney.