The Paralegal Pathways Initiative seeks to amplify the talents and perspectives of those who have directly experienced incarceration in an effort to create economic opportunity for our participants, advance racial equity in the legal field, build knowledge of the impacts of the criminal legal system among current and future legal professionals, and expose the legal profession to an untapped wealth of legal experience and talent.
Each year, approximately 600,000 people return home from prison, many with valuable legal knowledge and skills gained while incarcerated. Yet, they often face stigma, legal restrictions, and other structural barriers that limit access to high-quality jobs. The Paralegal Pathways Initiative (PPI) seeks to bridge this gap by elevating the skills of formerly incarcerated individuals that could lead to long-term employment opportunities, while also fostering dialogue among legal professionals, students, and scholars on issues of criminal law and reentry. Through its course, PPI equips individuals impacted by the justice system with legal skills and creates pathways to meaningful careers in the legal field. Since 2020, PPI has brought together over 50 justice-impacted participants and 75 current and former law students.
- Asset-Based Approach: We recognize and support the existing skills and experiences of justice-impacted individuals, focusing on their strengths.
- Bridging Gaps: PPI connects formerly incarcerated individuals with a larger community of law students, legal practitioners, advocates, educators, and professors, fostering mutual learning, collaboration, and understanding.
- Societal Impact: PPI seeks to shift perceptions, challenge misconceptions, reduce stigma, and drive systemic change that enriches the legal community and society as a whole.”
- Opening Spaces: We strive to include justice-impacted individuals in environments from which they have historically been excluded.
Devon Simmons, Associate Director & Co-Founder of PPI
Ilene Strauss, Director of Writing and Lawyering Programs; Clinical Associate Professor of Law
Philip M. Genty, Everett B. Birch Innovative Teaching Clinical Professor Emeritus in Professional Responsibility