CRIMINAL RECORD ASSISTANCE
VACATING AND VOTING
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To Our Community Partners: Thank You
On behalf of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle’s Advocacy and Community Engagement Team, we extend our sincere gratitude to the community partners who have supported our Vacating Records and records relief work.
Through your time, expertise, commitment, and collaboration, community members have gained access to resources and opportunities that can help them move forward. Whether through education and advocacy, assistance navigating the record-vacating process, connections to employment opportunities, or relationships built through this work, your partnership has made a meaningful difference.
For people impacted by the criminal justice system, a past record can create lasting barriers to employment, housing, education, financial stability, and the ability to provide for their families. Addressing those barriers is part of the larger work required to create a more equitable justice system—one in which a person’s past does not permanently determine their future.
This work has been strengthened by partners who share our commitment to equity, opportunity, and meaningful pathways forward. Together, we have helped community members overcome barriers, strengthen their families, and build greater stability for themselves and their communities.
Thank you for standing alongside ULMS and, most importantly, alongside the community members we collectively serve. We deeply appreciate your partnership and your contributions to this important work.
With gratitude,
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle Advocacy and Community Engagement Team
Featured Department Updates
Advocacy in Action
The Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle’s Advocacy Team recently partnered with the Lavender Rights Project to host a Vacating Records Clinic at Rainier Community Center, connecting community members with education, legal assistance, and resources to help navigate the record-vacating process.
- 40 Community Members Registered
- 32 Participants Attended
- In-Person + Virtual Participation
- Direct Legal Assistance for Eligible Participants
For eligible participants, Motions to Vacate were prepared and filed, helping community members take meaningful steps toward removing barriers to employment, housing, and long-term stability.
The clinic was hosted in partnership with the Lavender Rights Project, a Black trans-led Seattle organization supporting Black, trans, and gender-expansive people through legal advocacy, housing justice, and community-led support. As a Black-led organization, ULMS recognizes the importance of keeping intersectionality at the center of our advocacy and working alongside trusted partners to reach communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system.
We are also grateful to the Rainier Community Center Recreation Center Coordinator and staff for helping secure a welcoming and accessible space for the clinic.
Extensive preparation took place before the clinic to ensure participants received accurate information and meaningful support. The Advocacy Team conducted community outreach, developed educational materials, completed legal research, pulled background checks through the Washington State Patrol, reviewed eligibility requirements, and checked for outstanding legal financial obligations.
The team also coordinated food and refreshments and developed a detailed run of show to create an organized and welcoming experience for participants.
During the clinic, the Advocacy Team facilitated an educational workshop on the record-vacating process. Participants actively engaged with the presentation, asked questions, and shared their lived experiences.
While participants waited to meet with an attorney, ULMS staff provided one-on-one assistance reviewing background checks, identifying legal financial obligations, discussing individual records, and helping participants understand potential next steps.
Staff also emphasized transparency throughout the process. Every legal situation is different, and eligibility and timelines for vacating a record can vary depending on factors including the type of charge and court process.
The clinic also created an opportunity to connect record relief with civic engagement. Staff reminded participants of their voting rights and provided voter registration assistance to those who were not already registered.
Civic participation is an important part of successful reentry. Ensuring returning community members understand their rights and can participate in decisions affecting their communities is one way we help strengthen individual and collective power.
Following the clinic, participants and staff shared a meal catered by Gold Coast Gals Kitchen, a local West African restaurant.
This clinic reflects ULMS’s commitment to removing legal barriers, supporting successful reentry, and advancing equity through trusted community partnerships.
As we evaluate and strengthen our approach to records relief, we look forward to building on the partnerships established through this work, continuing to support community members in their journeys, and developing an even stronger program for the future.
A criminal history can limit opportunities for employment, housing, and exercising your right to vote.
Prepared by our Advocacy & Civic Engagement department, the following ‘Voting & Vacating Criminal Records’ workbook was designed to help inform you of your voters rights (no matter your current circumstances) and guide you in navigating and understanding the process of vacating a criminal record in the state of Washington.
If you or a loved one has a criminal record in King County, our hope is to equip you with the resources and confidence you need to finally and legally say ‘no’ when faced with the question “Do you have a criminal history?”