Clinic wins FIVE Successful COR Petitions!

Today, the Clinic made history! Judge Karen Eady-Williams granted FIVE Certificate of Relief (COR) petitions for our clients today at the Mecklenburg County Courthouse! Claire Donnelly, Gatlin Groberg, and Tierra Ragland represented the clients under the supervision of our wonderful supervising attorney, Jason Huber.

Our faithful followers to this blog are probably well aware of the COR project that the Clinic has been working on over the past few years. For those not so familiar, a COR petition is a rehabilitative measure created by the legislature in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-173.2 that allows qualified petitioners “relief” from their past criminal conviction. CORs are particularly helpful in advancing employment and furthering education. After a judge grants a petition, the successful petitioner can present it to prospective employers as proof that they have made amends for their past actions. Because these individuals may previously have been turned away from jobs due to their criminal record, a COR provides many exciting opportunities. Each of our clients today were very deserving and are incredibly grateful for this opportunity.

One of the cases today presented a very complicated issue of law, to which even the Assistant District Attorney remarked that there was “no precedence or guidance for the Court.” The issue regarded whether a Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) counted as a disqualifying conviction under the COR statute. Tierra submitted a brief and made a compelling legal argument on behalf of her client explaining why a PJC should not count as a disqualifying conviction. Judge Eady-Williams found the argument very convincing and the COR was granted!

Congrats to the Clinic on the FIVE successful petitions, and the effective advocacy on a matter of first impression!

Societal Impact Fair Huge Sucess

The objective of the Societal Impact Fair was to increase community awareness of the practice-ready programs offered by CharlotteLaw. All 17 clinics, pro bono, and Small Practice Center programs were displayed using poster board sessions. Faculty, staff, students, and clients were on hand to speak to members of local nonprofits, business and community leaders, as well as Charlotte citizens about the programs. The fair brought in over 80 external constituents to the school as well as a local news station. The newest clinic, Homeless Prevention, was a hot topic among the media as seen in the below news clip. President Chidi Ogene commented that the event was a huge success and can be a springboard to more events that invite the community inside the walls of the school to spark conversation, collaboration, and mission integration. Video and written testimonials of clients who have benefited from the clinics were collected to be utilized in further branding campaigns.

Reminder: NASCAR Negotiation Competition in North Carolina

NASCAR and Charlotte School of Law are proud to co-host the inaugural NASCAR Negotiation Competition in North Carolina (“NC3”) from November 13 – 15, 2015 in Charlotte, NC.

Students from regional law schools will be invited to participate in this first-of-its-kind legal negotiation competition. The competition will focus on legal and business issues which arise frequently in NASCAR and motorsports generally. Some of most experienced and respected motorsports attorneys in America will serve as the competition judges, and there will be networking opportunities available to participating students, including a NASCAR reception on the evening of the 13th.

NASCAR and Charlotte School of law are excited to present this practice-based experience for law students. To our knowledge, this marks the first time that a law school and a professional sports governing body have partnered to present such a competition. We hope you will join us this November.