Client Resources

The following links provide useful information to clients and the public. Please note that the information provided on resources, services and programs is not an endorsement nor is it a substitute for due diligence. It is not meant to be a complete list of all available resources but a guide. While every effort is made to keep the information updated, there is no guarantee of its accuracy.

Alternative Commitment and Registration Support Unit

Innocence Program

If you are an indigent defendant wrongfully convicted of a Massachusetts state crime, you can apply for our assistance. Alternatively, current, or former attorneys can refer their clients to us for help.

 

Social Services Resources/Services/Programs

 

Bar Advocate Program (BAP) Directory

Bar Advocate Programs train and supervise private attorneys, also known as bar advocates, in the representation of indigent clients in Massachusetts. The BAPs operate primarily under contract with the Committee for Public Counsel Services. Bar advocates working under contract with the BAPs are certified to accept cases appointed by the Massachusetts Courts. There are thirteen (12) BAPs representing fourteen (14) Massachusetts counties. You can find the BAP directory HERE.

 

Contact Information for Legal Aid Offices – Civil Legal Services Providers

Massachusetts Legal Resource Finder

 

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI)

What is CORI?

  • CORI stands for Criminal Offender Record information. There is CORI on you if you have ever been charged with a crime in a Massachusetts court.
  • Your CORI report is a list of your criminal charges. It includes all cases even if you were found not guilty or the case was dismissed.
  • It is important to know what is in your CORI report. You can get a copy of it from the Department of Criminal Justice Information Services (DCJIS). DCJIS is the state agency in charge of CORI.

Why You Need to Know What is in Your Criminal Record?

CORI makes it harder to get a job, housing, or even volunteer at your child’s school. Even if your criminal record is very old, it can still create problems.

What is Not in Your Criminal Record? The CORI report you get from DCJIS does not include:

  • Restraining orders to prevent abuse or harassment. But if criminal charges are filed against you for violating a restraining order, those charges will be on your CORI report.
  • Child abuse or neglect reports from the Department of Children and Families. Sometimes these reports are called “51A reports.”
  • Cases tried in juvenile courts unless the juvenile was tried as an adult. If you need a copy of your juvenile record, see Juvenile Court Record information HERE.

Know Your CORI Rights: HERE

Learn How to Obtain a Copy of Your Criminal Record: HERE

How and If You Are Eligible to Seal Your Criminal Record: Should I seal my CORI?; How do I seal?; Crimes that cannot be sealed; Out-of-state Contacts; “Good cause” for sealing records: Sealing past marijuana charges: HERE

How to Read Your Criminal Record: Here

CORI Alerts: HERE

Need Help Sealing Your Criminal Record? Get Free Legal Help: HERE

Reinstating Your Driver’s License After a Drug Conviction

If your driver’s license was suspended because you were convicted of a drug offense that was not a “trafficking” drug charge, you can get your license back. You do not have to pay the $500 reinstatement fee.

Note: The law only applies to drug convictions. It does not apply to DUI or alcohol offenses.

Legal Aid Assistance: Here