Join us for a 90-minute documentary screening of "Pardon Me: Exploring the Harms of Criminal Records and the Benefits of Executive Pardons.” The program will include a screening, a panel discussion including the film's producer/director, experts, people with lived experience in the Pennsylvania criminal justice system, and the opportunity for Q&A. It will explain why Pardon Coaching is an easy way for law students and attorneys to provide pro bono service to an under-represented community.

Pennsylvania has long been among the country's most heavily incarcerated and heavily supervised states. When a sentence is fully completed, the conviction remains. Criminal records are available online and used daily, often illegally, to deny jobs, promotions, loans, housing, etc. The only way to remove a conviction from the record is by a pardon from the Governor, and the only way to get to the Governor is through the Board of Pardons.

In this program, you will learn what having a criminal record has meant to several Pennsylvanians and their families - what they have done despite those records and how those records have held them back. You will also learn the process for obtaining a pardon, the opportunity to help people from your county apply, and the need for further reforms.

MODERATOR AND PANELISTS INCLUDE:

• Shuja Moore, Documentary Film Maker and Producer/Director of “Pardon Me”. At 22, Moore was arrested and convicted of an accidental murder following an incident involving firearm possession. He served 12 years in prison and became a filmmaker to tell his story and the stories of those from marginalized communities. In 2020, Moore was named the Mike Lee Fellow at Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity
• Professor SpearIt is an internationally recognized scholar and the author of American Prisons: A Critical Primer on Culture and Conversion to Islam. He teaches courses including Evidence, Criminal Procedure, and Criminal Law and has taught at San Quentin State Prison
• Professor of Practice Chalon Young runs Pitt Law’s State Criminal Defense Practicum and teaches the Philosophy of Crime and Punishment and Criminal Procedure I and II
• Barbara Griffin, Esq. is Director of the Pro Bono Center of the Allegheny County Bar Foundation, which mobilizes well-trained volunteers to help meet the legal needs of individuals with low incomes in Allegheny County
• Alea Tiberi, Pitt Law 3L who assists pardon applicants on a pro bono basis