Two Howard University alumni, Lawrence Blackmon and Roger Roman, are spearheading LegalEase, a Black-owned justice-tech startup on a mission to help individuals expunge criminal records and file court petitions, without delegating it to expensive attorneys.
From Campus Roots to Legal-Tech Innovation
Graduates of the HBCU powerhouse, Blackmon and Roman have built Expungement.ai, a platform powered by conversational AI (nicknamed Wilma) that guides users through eligibility checks, court forms, and filings in under five minutes. Built to serve those most impacted by systemic inequalities, the platform allows people to call, click, or text their way to a clean slate, bypassing traditional legal hurdles.
Why It Matters
An estimated 70 million Americans carry criminal records that limit job, housing, and education opportunities. The traditional expungement process is costly, often requiring months of paperwork and thousands of dollars. LegalEase replaces that barrier with a conversational experience via voice, web chat, or SMS, making clearing a record as simple as paying a bill online.
Key Features & Scale
- State-by-state rollout: Live now in Mississippi, expanding to Illinois and the DC/Maryland corridor later this year, with full national coverage expected by early 2027.
- Multi-channel access: Users can interact through voice call, web chat, or text messaging.
- Real-time eligibility screening: Powered by Wilma, trained on each state’s specific statutes.
- Service tiers: DIY filing for $150, or full-service “concierge filing” for $500.
- Tracking tools: Users receive docket-level status updates from submission to judicial approval.
- Community clinics: Launching “Expungement Express” pro bono sessions starting this fall.
Impact and Vision
Operated from Canton, Mississippi, LegalEase is committed to processing one million expungements by 2030. By automating routine legal tasks with empathy and accessibility, they aim to unlock opportunities for millions who have been penalised for past mistakes.
As co-founder Blackmon states, “Too many neighbours have waited years for a second chance… By letting folks call, click, or text to a clean slate, we’re proving that equal justice can scale, from Jackson today to every zip code in America tomorrow.” Roger Roman adds, “When a five-minute chat opens doors across the country, the system is finally working for everyone.”
LegalEase showcases the power of combining HBCU-rooted community values with cutting-edge legal technology, making legal reform tangible and scalable. Their platform aligns affordability, accessibility, and impact to rewrite what justice can look like.
