In this Issue:

The Ethnography of Crime and the First Appearances Project

Expungement

What We Do Miniseries, Part III: Outreach Smoutreach

Resume Writer

Organization Spotlight: Grace Outreach

Save the Date

This past semester, an Ethnography of Crime class fulfilled public service requirements by volunteering with the First Appearance Project at the Orleans Public Defenders. The students conducted First Appearance interviews at the House of Detention to learn more about the criminal justice system in New Orleans through participant observation. An article about their experiences is currently online in Tulane’s New Wave .

On October 31st six clients had their criminal records successfully expunged. While small in number, these are the first of many from “Expungement Day” to be completed. The expungements were processed by a partnership between the Orleans Public Defenders, Safestreets, and Critical Resistance. For more information about the expungement process, please contact

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Outreach for the Orleans Public Defenders consists of a number of activities. Primarily, we establish relationships with community organizations so that those organizations can better serve our clients. This includes helping community organizations build their capacity to serve our clients particularized needs. We’re working on several community projects including a Municipal Court Project that will intervene in the tremendously high rate of recidivism in Municipal Court; a Magistrate Court Project that will provide job resources to clients as they leave Magistrate Court; and a Community Justice Center Project that will use community mediation as an alternative to engagement with the criminal justice system. We look forward to keeping you posted on these projects and their impacts on clients of the Public Defenders. For more information on these and other projects, please contact

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Resume expert Grant Cooper has agreed to consult with clients of the Orleans Public Defenders individually to produce resumes. Resumes already completed by Grant are extremely well done and we highly recommend that clients who are attempting to find employment take advantage of this opportunity. For more information please contact

Grace Outreach provides a range of services for clients with substance abuse issues, including supportive housing, transportation, mild mental health and dual diagnosis support, group therapy and ATR II case management. There are several clients of the Orleans Public Defenders currently using Grace Outreach’s services and their flexibility makes them an excellent resource for future clients. To enroll a client in Grace Outreach or learn more about their services, please contact

-- The Office Christmas Party will be on Wednesday, December 17th, 6pm at 523 Gravier Street. For more information contact

Defender Services Program

Orleans Public Defenders

2601 Tulane Ave., Ste. 700

New Orleans, LA 70065

(504) 827-8198