Justice Bus travels to Santa Barbara, serves 18 California veterans

September 13, 2016| By Alexa Brown — Established in 2007, the Justice Bus is a mobile legal clinic, part of pro-bono offerings from One Justice, which "takes teams of attorney and law student volunteers from urban areas to set up free legal clinics for low-income Californians living in rural and isolated communities. These clinics provide life-changing legal assistance to low-income veterans, vulnerable seniors, children with disabilities, low-wage workers, immigrant youth, and families."

Pepperdine Law Director of Clinical Education Jeff Baker coordinates trips with One Justice to give Pepperdine Law students the opportunity to serve their local communities and gain practical experience. This September, a group of eight students were able to assist eighteen California veterans with criminal record clearance. Clients spoke highly of the assistance they received:

“For the longest time I have been trying to clean up my record. I was confused about what and where to file documents. The people here today were a blessing. Walked me right through everything and made it all understandable. Thank you!”

“My only crimes were 10 years ago. Having been educated and a professional, and with no experience with the criminal justice system, I became devastated personally and hopeless, believing that I would never be able to work in my chosen field again. Therefore, my passion in life and life came to a screeching halt. Today, I am leaving the clinic full of hope again. There is no exaggeration in stating that this is preserving and in some ways saving my life. Thank you!”