Vinuta Naik
Host: East Bay Community Law Center
Sponsor: AmeriCorps, East Bay Community Law Center
Johanna Zacarias
- Hosted by Northeast New Jersey Legal Services
- Sponsored by AmeriCorps, Northeast New Jersey Legal Services
- Service location Jersey City, New Jersey
- Issue area Criminal Records Relief, Employment
- Fellowship class year 2015
- Program AmeriCorps Fellows Program
The Project
Johanna Zacarias removed barriers to employment through direct representation and through community networking and community legal education. This project addressed the employment needs of low-income individuals in northeastern New Jersey. Specifically, it addressed the need of those with a criminal record to have that record expunged in order to improve their employment opportunities and attain a higher standard of living.
Fellowship Highlights
During Johanna’s Fellowship, Johanna:
- Filed dozens of expungement petitions to help clients remove the stigma of a criminal record.
- Empowered communities to exercise their rights and ensure their past mistakes don’t define their future opportunities.
- Assisted clients in identifying and removing barriers to successfully obtaining employment.
Meet Other Fellows Like Johanna
Tolu Adewale
Host: Legal Aid of North Carolina
Sponsor: AmeriCorps, Legal Aid of North Carolina
Quinton Thompson
Host: Mississippi Center for Justice
Sponsor: AmeriCorps, Mississippi Center for Justice
La Tri-c-ea McClendon-Hunt
Host: Rhode Island Legal Services
Sponsor: AmeriCorps, Rhode Island Legal Services