Montana Lawyer April/May 2025

decades,” denying them “housing, employment opportuni ties, the ability to volunteer in my child’s school, and more.” Another participant shared, “I was unable to get a career in the field I went to school for and for what I am certified to do.” When asked about how a clear record would benefit them, clinic participants listed the ability to seek better opportuni ties, being more confident in themselves, and moving on from their convictions. “I will feel free of labels, chains, and embarrassment and regret when applying for jobs,” one participant said. Another shared, “It represents a major mile stone and serves as one of the major processes of one chapter ending and another chapter beginning. It will definitely open up new doors for me.” Many participants also highlighted that they had made significant positive changes in their lives since their conviction and that expungement represented an affirmation that they are not the person they used to be. As one participant stated, “I feel I am a normal citizen but my records are over my head every day, reminding me of the bad decisions I made in my past and how it was going to affect me later in life.” Volunteers from Berkeley Law and the Montana bar donated a total of 300 hours to the clinic. Reflecting on the week, Berkeley Law student leader Anisa Ricci said, “Assisting participants with expungement petitions was in spiring. It was an honor to hear their stories, craft their narra tive, and help them take the first step toward a clear record." Pro bono attorney Carol Grell Morris called the

experience, “an excellent opportunity to complete pro bono work even in an area of law which was not well-known to me. MLSA provided useful and timely training to orient the volunteer attorneys to the 2019 Act, and also provided all necessary conviction files ahead of the clinic dates. This al lowed the volunteer attorneys to focus on actual participant meetings to draft expungement petitions. I would volunteer again without hesitation if a second Clean Slate Clinic oppor tunity is offered in the future.” Looking ahead, Reavis shared, “I’m excited about the future of criminal record relief in our courts and at the Legislature. Right now, felony expungement remains un available under Montana law, and the processes we have for clearing misdemeanors, marijuana offenses, and deferred sentences could benefit from streamlining and automation. Although there’s still work to be done, the participants in this clinic are paving the way–advocating for the importance of second chances and demonstrating what’s possible with a clean slate. People are so much more than what comes up on their background checks.” The misdemeanor expungement packet for self-represent ed litigants will soon be publicly available on MLSA’s website, MontanaLawHelp.org, and the Montana Judicial Branch’s forms website, https://courts.mt.gov/forms/. You can learn more about MLSA’s pro bono opportuni ties by contacting MLSA’s Pro Bono Program at probono@ mtlsa.org..

Jesse C. Kodadek Elected Shareholder

Parsons Behle & Latimer congratulates Jesse C. Kodadek on becoming one of its newest shareholders. Jesse is a litigator in the firm’s Missoula office who focuses his practice on real estate-related litigation and commercial litigation, including consumer-side class actions and complex insurance issues. Jesse is also a recognized authority on public road, easement and access issues throughout Montana. Learn more about Jesse at parsonsbehle.com .

127 E. Main Street, Suite 301 | Missoula, Montana 59802 | 406.317.7220 A Different LEGAL PERSPECTIVE

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APRIL-MAY 2025

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