If you were denied employment or lost your job within the past 300 days because of your criminal record and you are African American or Latino and the company has 15 or more employees, you may have an employment discrimination claim under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Moving Forward After a Criminal Conviction

Any history with the criminal justice system can create lingering and significant barriers to employment and education.

The LAW Project of Los Angeles provides no-cost, high quality, legal services
to workers who:

1) Have prior involvement with the criminal justice system and
2) Are seeking to address their past in an effort to move forward with their lives.

Know Your Rights

You must know your rights when you are applying for work with a criminal record.

Background Checks

When you work or apply at a company that is going to run a background check on you, there are rules for both the employer and the background checking company. You have rights and protections under both the federal and California law. When these rules are violated, you can make a claim for monetary damages. You must always request a copy of the background check report to ensure that the report is accurate and that your rights are not being violated. Go to our FCRA violations page for more information.

Unfair Employment Practices

Some job applicants are told that they must “pass” a background check for a job. Others are told that an employer won’t hire any applicant who has a felony on their record. Employers cannot make blanket “no felony” rules in their hiring policies. There is no such thing as a “passing” grade on a background check. Many types of employers run the risk of engaging in unfair employment practices that could violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act when they refuse to hire someone with a criminal record.
Go to our EEOC/Title VII page for more information.