on-site training
We recognize that skill development is an area that is often overlooked both for law students and non-legal community volunteers. We strive to have a reciprocal relationship with our volunteers--our volunteers give us invaluable help, and in exchange we want to provide valuable skills. To that end, at many clinics during the academic year we offer on-site trainings, that take place at the clinic after we have finished helping clients. These on-site training include: client interview, declaration writing, and California criminal procedure. And, since the clinic's supervising attorney already talks too much, we often invite people outside the clinic--including practicing attorneys, professors and other criminal defense experts--to lead the training sessions.
training materials
Over the years, we developed a 3-hour program to train new volunteers. We provide this training to student volunteers at UCLA School of Law once a semester. For everyone else, we provide the training every other month in South Los Angeles. Check our calendar for any upcoming training. The material went through multiple revisions, and we now consider it "good enough" for our purpose. You can find our latest handout below, minus the sample criminal history records we also use.
| clinic_training_handout_version_2.pdf |
For your convenience, here is also the powerpoint that is used during the training, minus our attorneys' snappy delivery.
| reentry_legal_clinic_training_2012.pptx |
We have also developed a much more detailed training program called the "certified volunteer program." It started as an all-day program (8 hours) and was offered once in 2010 to a mixed group of law student and community volunteers. Starting in 2011, we have broken it up into two 3-hour parts, offering it right before the clinic in October and November at UCLA. You can find the latest materials we use for training below. Currently, we're at version 0.3.
| certified_volunteer_program_training_handbook_version_0.3.pdf |
In addition, EBCLC has compiled a great list of answers to common questions regarding a 1203.4 dismissal (aka "expungement"). For some strange reason, this helpful document is not available on the EBCLC website. But it is available on the Alameda County Reentry Council website.
online training
For those of you interested in a hands-on training on how to fill out related California Judicial Council forms, there is an online training site, located at http://reentrylegalclinic.dozuki.com.
additional links and information
In addition to these training materials, below are some links to specific statutes, forms, policy statements, and other resources that involve subjects that we touch on at the clinic. While these may or may not help you perform the technical steps of working with a client, they can provide valuable background to help you better understand why we do different things.
- California Penal Code § 1203.4 (here)
- California Penal Code § 1203.4a (here)
- California Penal Code § 17 (here)
- EEOC Policy Statement on the Issue of Conviction Records under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. § 2000e et seq. (1982). (2/4/87) (here)
- EEOC Policy Statement on the Use of Statistics in Charges Involving the Exclusion of Individuals with Conviction Records from Employment (7/29/87) (here)
- Policy Guidance on the Consideration of Arrest Records in Employment Decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, 42 U.S.C. §2000e et seq. (1982) (here)
- Stephanie Sauter's California Employment Background Check Fact Sheet (see below).
- Review these California Judicial Council forms.
- Also review our sample 1203.4 declaration and declaration template--(see below)
- Watch our old training video on California expungement here.
| California Employment Background Check Fact Sheet |
| clinic_declaration_template_2012.dot |
| sample_declaration.pdf |