CLE: Introduction to Minnesota Criminal Expungements
May 7 @ 12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Volunteer Lawyers Network, Ltd., the Cannabis Expungement Board, and State Support Present: Introduction to Minnesota Criminal Expungements
Date: Thursday, May 7, 2026
Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Location: Webinar
Registration/More Info: Register
CLE: 1 Standard CLE Credit to be applied for
This CLE is intended to teach volunteer attorneys about the different types of criminal expungements available in Minnesota and the remedies that each type of expungement may offer a client who has been denied employment or housing due to the existence of criminal records. In addition to discussing statutory, inherent authority, prosecutor-led, and automatic expungement pursuant to 609A.015, this CLE will also feature a discussion led by attorneys from the Cannabis Expungement Board on the relief provided for cannabis records under 609A.06, as well as touch on automatic cannabis expungement pursuant to 609A.055. This CLE will focus on helping pro bono attorneys understand the different types of criminal record expungement, what is required for eligibility, the possible relief granted and limitations of relief under each type of expungement, and how to tailor expungement advice to the client’s goals and needs.
Presenters:
Lena Atchan is a Staff Attorney for the Cannabis Expungement Board. Prior to joining the CEB in July 2025, she was a law clerk for a judge in Minnesota’s Fourth Judicial District. She graduated from the University of St. Thomas School of Law in May 2024.
Casey Schultz Bruning is a Staff Attorney for the Cannabis Expungement Board. Her prior legal experience includes practicing immigration law in non-profit settings, working as an attorney editor, and clerking for two state district court judges. Casey is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas School of Law and the University of Minnesota.
Elizabeth Fowlds is the Criminal Expungement Resource Attorney and Program Manager at Volunteer Lawyers Network, Ltd., a position she has held since July 2023. Prior to joining VLN, Elizabeth practiced as a public defender in Sonoma County, California; Mendocino County, California; and Hennepin County Minnesota.
This training is free.
