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The COVID-19 outbreak has scrubbed what would have been IU McKinney’s fifth annual 2020 Re-Entry Fair Job and Resource Fair. But the intrepid students and faculty that make up the Civil Practice Clinic are not letting that stop them from providing services to the re-entry community. Professor Carrie Hagan and her students will provide remote, online services through April 5.

"It’s really important to us to be able to reach as many people in the community as possible," said 3L Grace Dillow. "So, because we have the tools to continue remotely, we figured why not? We can help people get a fresh start, or simply provide information that they may not have had access to before, and it didn’t make sense to us to let our inability to meet in person stop us from giving people these resources."

Anyone interested in the services is encourages to fill out the clinic’s online Google Form request. The clinic will accept requests for information on expungement screening, social services, gender marker change information, Bureau of Motor Vehicles account information, census information, and resume building. The forms, which are accessible on smart phones as well as computers, will be accepted until April 5. The clinic aims to have all responses sent out by April 13.

The Civil Practice Clinic has partnered with the Indiana Legal Services LGBT Law Project, Ivy Tech Community College, and the Lambda Law Society at McKinney to offer information and connect community members with legal resources as they navigate the process of correcting the name and/or gender marker on their identity documents.

"We hope to make these services a permanent part of the Clinic’s practice soon," said 3L Kate Newman. "For now, we’re so grateful for the support from our partners to pilot a remote outreach program." 

The Re-Entry Fair is not the only event at which the clinic planned to provide services this spring. It would have marked the Civil Practice Clinic’s second year at Ivy Tech and the SENSE Charter School, and the first year for Indianapolis Public Schools, as well as other pop-up clinics in the metropolitan Indianapolis area.

“When we had to cancel all of these, the Civil Practice Clinic students recognized that just because we can’t be there in person, we can still offer some of the services we would offer in person, remotely,” Professor Hagan said. “We have the tools, and we have the talent. I’m excited to see what we can accomplish this year, even if it is different.”

Students are determined to offer as many services to the re-entry community as possible.

“We are continuing to provide these services because we understand the importance of the work we do, said Brendan Haile. He’s an evening program 4L and Civil Practice Clinic student. “The Re-entry Fair every year is a huge event for the community. Hundreds of people come to this event seeking assistance to better their lives.”