by Delaney Beh, ’23

My time at Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic this semester as their Expungement Help Desk Intern has been nothing short of life changing and has certainly been a highlight of this odd year.  This opportunity attracted me because of my future career aspirations.  At this time, I personally feel called into the field of chaplaincy, with criminal justice being a topic particularly heavy on my heart.  Factoring in these considerations, this internship seemed like the perfect combination of those passions, as well as a great way to discern if this type of work is what I am truly being called to do.  After completing the internship, I can say that it has only strengthened my desire to pursue a faith/justice based profession!

NCLC helps members of the Indianapolis community navigate a variety of legal situations at no cost and my job specifically dealt with aiding people through the process of criminal expungement.  Expungement provides individuals with criminal records a second chance, making it in most circumstances as if they were never criminally charged at all, so they are able to obtain employment, housing, education, etc. without discrimination.  Normally, my internship would have taken place at the Project Grace Help Desk, located in the Indianapolis City-County building, but since it is currently closed due to COVID, I completed the vast majority of my work remotely.

A typical workday for me would start with appointments.  These were initial phone calls that gave me the opportunity to ask questions that help determine exactly what a client needs and if they are eligible for expungement at that time.  Based on these phone calls, I would then spend the second half of my work day drafting the official petitions for expungement that get sent to clients for them to sign and file with the court.  I know it might sound boring to some, but I thoroughly enjoyed it!  Most of the folks I talked to on the phone were lovely and were surprisingly honest about what they had been through in their lives.  These conversations were certainly a high point of my experience because it was clear how grateful people are for the opportunity to clear their record and that showed me just how big of a difference I was making in the lives of others.

Overall, my internship experience has been amazing and I certainly recommend working with NCLC to anyone with a passion for faith, criminal justice, and/or the Indianapolis community.  The staff at the clinic is wonderful and they were very patient and kind while I was learning how the law works and how to draft petitions from home.  Working with them this semester has been extremely impactful and I am thankful for the opportunity to have made a positive impact in other people’s lives.  I am also thankful for the skills this internship has helped me develop.  Initially, I had a lot of anxiety around talking to strangers on the phone, but being that that was an essential part of the job, I am happy to say I have gotten over that fear.  This internship changed my life and offered me a new perspective on what life is like for many people right here in Indianapolis, and for that I am most grateful!