The Record Clearance Project aims to promote justice by providing accessible legal services to those who cannot afford them while educating undergraduates to serve with dignity and compassion. Through record clearance and reentry support, the RCP helps individuals secure a second chance and move forward with their lives, while empowering students to create meaningful, lasting change through social justice.
The Mercury News article “San Jose State expungement program can change lives of everyone involved ” reported on a Record Clearance Project court hearing, a legal rights presentation in jail, and the impact of the program.
Former RCP clients talk about the impact of record clearance and encourage those in jail to gain the benefits as well in this RCP video.
RCP in the Community
RCP partnered with the community organization TimeDone in June 2025 at the California State Capitol on TimeDone Day. Former RCP clients, students, and staff helped to promote advocacy and awareness on clean slate initiatives and the importance of second chances. TimeDone sent this Instagram post on RCP's legal rights presentation.
People leaving custody often need computer skills to find and get a job. With funding sponsored by Supervisor Susan Ellenberg and Destination Home Techquity funding, RCP provided free digital literacy courses to formerly incarcerated people. Those who complete the program received free laptops on which they were trained. RCP staff teach the class, assisted by student interns who provide one-on-one assistance. The SJSU Research Foundation shared an Instagram post on the session.
In September 2025, the RCP hosted a Community Resource Fair at ML King Library, sponsored by Destination: Home. Community members connected with organizations providing resources related to employment, housing, food access, education, transportation, record clearance and computer skills. Along with information, giveaways included hygiene kits, tents, food, and blankets.
RCP hosts an annual Alternative Spring Break week, inviting Stanford and Berkeley law students to spend their spring breaks working with RCP students to prepare court petitions for record clearance. RCP trains the law students on record clearance law, trauma-informed interviewing, and drafting record clearance petitions. Teams of law and RCP students prepare clients' court petitions during this week of hard work.
During the summer of 2025, RCP developed and piloted week-long practical legal skills classes in jail, including a session in Spanish. Adapting materials from the introductory RCP class, the courses covered record clearance law, legal research, the content of client declarations, and practice in describing record clearance rights to others. Each class started with a lesson on the day's topic. Participants then broke into small groups for hands-on practice, led by RCP advanced students.
3.16.2026