Name of Host Organization: Legal Action Center

City, State: New York, NY

Issue area: Children/Youth

Sponsor: Anonymous

Laurie Parise works for the National HIRE Network, a project of the Legal Action Center, whose mission is to provide leadership on key public policy initiatives to promote the employment of people with criminal histories. Laurie’s project expands on the work of HIRE and addresses the unique issues that youth who have been involved in the juvenile and criminal justice systems face when they re-enter society generally and the workforce particularly. Currently, there is no organization in New York City working exclusively with the juvenile population on this issue. On the local level Laurie will implement a “Know Your Rights Campaign” offering trainings and technical assistance to youth with criminal histories on how to lessen, and in some cases eliminate, the many barriers they may face as they to enter the workforce. She will also represent individuals whose juvenile records have been illegally unsealed through direct legal services. On the national level, Laurie will advocate for the exclusion of juvenile records from consumer reports and for a federal mechanism to promote the rehabilitation and labor market prospects of youthful offenders. Laurie’s commitment to work with disenfranchised populations began in 1990 at the Rainforest Foundation, where she worked closely with indigenous peoples, developing and implementing innovative projects to support them in their efforts to save their environment and protect their human rights. After 11 years with the organization, the last five as its Executive Director, Laurie decided to go to law school to develop new skills in order to promote social justice in other segments of society. Her interest in juvenile justice began as a law student, when she interned at the Legal Aid Society-Juvenile Rights Division and at the Legal Action Center.