Eviction records can serve as long-term barriers to tenants seeking future housing. But, as of May 5, 2025, a new law went into effect that allows tenants to file a petition to seal certain eviction records. The training is for advocates, community groups, law students, paralegals, and attorneys. It focuses on how to determine eligibility, how to help tenants prepare to seal their eviction records, and how to use the court’s new online “Guided Interview” to complete a petition. The training also includes information about how tenant screening impacts tenants and how to challenge denials of housing.
Course Content
1:00pm - 1:05pm - Welcome and IntroductionAnnette R. Duke, Esq.,
MLRI, Boston
1:05pm - 2:00pm - Overview of the Eviction Sealing Law and How to Seal
Annette R. Duke, Esq.,
MLRI, Boston
Susan Hegel, Esq.,
Cambridge & Somerville Legal Services,an office of Greater Boston Legal Services, Cambridge
Daniel Jacobson, Esq.,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
Todd S. Kaplan, Esq.,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
Prof. Ana M. Rivera, Esq.,
Boston College Law School, Newton Centre
Quinten Steenhuis, Esq.,
Suffolk University Law School, Boston
2:00pm - 2:10pm - Break
2:10pm - 2:40pm - Demonstration of the Trial Court's Guided Interview
Panel
2:40pm - 3:00pm - Tenant Screening and Eviction Records
Todd S. Kaplan, Esq.,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
3:00pm - 3:30pm - 'Ask the Experts' Q&A Session and Key Takeaways
Panel
Speaker(s)
ChairAnnette R. Duke, Esq.,
MLRI, Boston
Faculty
Susan Hegel, Esq.,
Cambridge & Somerville Legal Services,an office of Greater Boston Legal Services, Cambridge
Daniel Jacobson, Esq.,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
Todd S. Kaplan, Esq.,
Greater Boston Legal Services, Boston
Prof. Ana M. Rivera, Esq.,
Boston College Law School, Newton Centre
Quinten Steenhuis, Esq.,
Suffolk University Law School, Boston
