Margaret Stevenson founded the Record Clearance Project (RCP) as a way to give students
hands-on experience with the law, the court system, and the people involved. The RCP
is a unique undergraduate curriculum and essential community resource. This program
provides experience that students would not otherwise gain outside of law school,
enabling them to use the law and their education to change lives for the better.
Founded at SJSU in 2008...
The RCP is powered by people who recognize the harm inflicted by the criminal legal
system. Since most RCP clients are people of color, this work aims to undo the discriminatory
impact caused by the legal system through an anti-racist lens that seeks to empower
our communities. Additionally, RCP has a 99% success rate in clearing people’s records
when a court hearing is required and has removed over $130,000 in court debt on clients'
behalf.
SJSU’s Julia Halprin Jackson spoke to RCP students and staff and wrote about how the
program’s impact provides hope and opportunities to those involved.
