A criminal record can make it difficult to find a job, get financial aid for school or apply for public housing--unless you expunge or seal that record.

To help explain the process, legal experts are holding a free Expungement Expo at the Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave., from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9. Attorneys and law students will be on hand to explain how to clear your adult or juvenile criminal record, or how to minimize its impact by obtaining a certificate of rehabilitation, according to a press release from the city.

No records will actually be cleared at the expo, but experts will explain how to begin the process with a petition at the Cook County Circuit Court.

Anyone interested in attending is asked to sign up in advance online at http://www.expungementexpoevanston.org/calendar. The expo is open to anyone who lives in Cook County.

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