The Restoration Legal Counsel program assists justice-involved individuals who are unable to pay for court fines and fees or who are otherwise disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. The program aims to help reduce barriers to employment, housing, continued education, licensing, etc. faced by those with unpaid fines, costs and fees and/or criminal records (see the Collateral Consequences Tool in the quick links section for a full list of barriers).
The Restoration Legal Counsel is an attorney position that works with the Court, the District Attorney’s Office, the Public Defender’s Office, and local community partners to provide pro bono restoration legal services to residents of Orange County. Services include:
- Expungements
- Certificates of Relief (a form of criminal record relief for those not eligible for expungement)
- Court Debt Relief
- Driver’s License Restoration
- Probation and Court Fee and Cost Relief
- Other ameliorative actions as needed
If you’d like to find out if the Restoration Legal Counsel can help you or someone you know, or if you have questions about the services provided by the Restoration Legal Counsel, please contact Mitchell Lucas by email or by phone at (919) 245-2313.
Please use this form for a referral: Restoration Counsel Referral Form
Restoration Legal Counsel brochure
