Stephani LaBelle is the Lead Attorney for Project Clean Slate, a program created by Mayor Mike Duggan in 2016 that assists Detroiters who want to work and be part of Detroit’s comeback by providing free expungement services to residents. The beneficiaries of the expungements have experienced employment improvements, wage increases, improved housing options, and the psychological benefits of having the stigma of the convictions lifted.
LaBelle’s more than 15‐years of criminal defense experience, effective case management style, and altruistic nature have proven to be the key to Project Clean Slate’s success. Shortly after her arrival, PCS adjusted its model to capitalize on LaBelle’s abilities, and she transformed the expungement program.
In 2019, Mayor Duggan worked with a bi‐partisan group of state legislators to reform the state’s expungement legislation. LaBelle testified in support of the legislation in front of both the Michigan House and Senate Judiciary Committees. The legislation was signed into law in October 2020, and will more than double the number of Detroiters eligible for expungement.
LaBelle received her Bachelor’s of Science in Criminal Justice from Wayne State University, and received her Juris Doctor from Wayne State University Law School. Her success has been recognized by her peers; in 2012 she received the Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association’s Pro Bono Award, and she was selected to the Class of 2020 Women in the Law by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
LaBelle lives in Metro‐Detroit with her husband and daughters.
What will accelerating expungement of criminal records mean for Detroit? Project Clean Slate’s lead attorney Stephani LaBelle explains.
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