Developing Partnerships
to
Benefit People Facing Barriers
Cabrini Green Legal Aid
740 North Milwaukee Avenue | Chicago, IL 60642
www.cgla.net | p 312.738.2452 | f 312.850.4783
Introducing CGLA
Our purpose is to answer God’s call to seek justice and mercy for those living in
poverty by providing legal services that strengthen lives, families, and
communities.
We provide high impact legal services in the areas of:
•Criminal Records
•Housing Law
•Family Law
•Criminal Defense
We integrate legal and social services through strategic
partnerships and in-house support staff to create long-term
impact on those we serve.
Expungement and Sealing
Before My Equal Justice Works
Fellowship
Expungement & Sealing
Procedures
Get Chicago RAP Sheet
A person arrested in the City of Chicago must include a RAP sheet with the petition when
it is filed. A RAP sheet costs $16, and it takes 2 trips to the Chicago Police Department to
get it.
Visit the Daley Center Expungement/Sealing Help Desk
CGLA Volunteers and law student interns prepare petitions that will be filed pro se.
File the Petition (next page)
Where Petitions are Filed
• Petitions are filed in Clerk’s Office in the district(s) in which the
cases occurred. Cook County has six municipal districts and
petitions are divided by arresting agency.
District 1 –
Chicago
District 2 Skokie
District 3 –
Rolling
Meadows
District 4 Maywood
District 5 –
Bridgeview
District 6 Markham
Expungement & Sealing
Procedures
File the Petition
Petitions must be filed in the County and District in which the case occurred. There are 102 counties in
Illinois, and 6 districts within Cook County. We have guides for filing within the Cook County districts.
Wait for Objection Period to Expire
All agencies entitled to notice by law have 60 days to object to the expungement or sealing (state’s
attorney, arresting agency, Illinois State Police and village prosecutor). Objections are filed with the
court, and are either (1) statutory in nature or (2) discretionary.
Attend Court (Some court dates are automatic; some are set upon objection)
At court dates, judges weigh the objections filed with several factors: petitioner’s rehabilitation, length
of time since the record, what is on the record, strength of the state’s case at the time, educational and
employment history. CGLA & CLC represent pro se petitioners in Chicago.
Expungement & Sealing
After a Court Order
If denied, a person can
file a Motion to
Reconsider within 60
days of service of the
order.
If granted, removes
records from the Clerk
of the Circuit Court
record, so information
does not appear on a
background check.
Appears as “no record.”
Files are impounded.
Orders the arresting
agency and Illinois State
Police to expunge or
seal. ISP also forwards
orders to the FBI.
Expungement and Sealing
After My Equal Justice Works
Fellowship
The Criminal Records Corps
No
Client and Case Manager
Request for
Research
Eligibility
(Based on Prescreen)
Eligible to
Expunge
or Seal?
Consult with client and
case manger re: other
options
CRC Law Student Volunteer
Yes
CRC Law Student Volunteer
Purchase RAP Sheet
(with funds provided by
CRC)
Client
Prepare and File
Petition
CRC Law Student Volunteer
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The Criminal Records Corps
Catholic Charities, 14, 2%
Center for Changing
Lives, 1, 0%
Heartland Human Care
Services - Ravenswood, 1,
0%
Goldie's Place, 4, 1% Inner Voice, Inc., 1, 0%
North Side Housing &
Supportive Services, 9, 1%
Breakthrough Urban
Ministries - Men, 76, 10%
Breakthrough Urban
Ministries - Women, 18, 2%
The Salvation Army, 3, 0%
The Renaissance
Collaborative, 49, 6%
Deborah's Place - Jackson
Blvd., 22, 3%
Streetwise, 76, 10%
Deborah's Place - Sedgwick
Street and West Oakdale,
25, 3%
Heartland Human Care
Services, 117, 15%
Southwest Chicago PADS,
277, 36%
Housing Opportunities for
Women, 45, 6%
Total Referred:
766
Jesse Brown VA Center, 3,
0%
La Casa Norte, 25, 3%
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The Criminal Records Corps
Northwestern University
Law School, 13, 10%
Non-Attorney, 1, 1%
Attorney, 5, 4%
DePaul University
College of Law, 17, 14%
IIT Chicago-Kent
College of Law, 28, 22%
Loyola University
Chicago School of Law,
51, 41%
Total Trained:
156
(includes 31 University of Chicago students
who served for one day who are not
included in the chart)
Indiana University
School of Law, 1, 1%
John Marshall Law
School, 9, 7%
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Current CGLA Partnerships
Collaborative
The Cara
Program
Strategic
Special
Initiatives
Breakthrough
Urban
Ministries
Heartland
Human Care
Services
Growing Home
La Casa Norte
Community
Homelessness
Prevention
Agencies
Safer
Foundation
Workforce
Development
Agencies
Social Services
Agencies
12
CGLA’s Mission
Holistic, Collaborative
Services That
Measurably Improve Lives
13