Lawrence Blackmon and Roger Roman, Howard University alumni and the founders of LegalEase, have announced the nationwide launch of Expungement.ai, a self-help record-clearing platform now available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Their company also announced the close of its $1 million pre-seed round, led by Slauson & Co., with participation from Techstars, Silicon Valley Social Venture Fund, and Innovate Mississippi.
More than 70 million Americans, roughly one in three adults, have an arrest or conviction record. Millions may be eligible for some form of record relief, but never complete the process. The gap is not demand. It is confusion, cost, and paperwork.
Expungement.ai was built to close that gap, and its launch follows LegalEase’s Mississippi pilot, where the company tested its first record-clearing tools with users and community partners across the state. Those learnings became the foundation for a national platform that helps people understand possible record-clearing pathways, generate self-help document packets where available, and move forward with clear next steps.
“Mississippi showed us the size of the problem and the opportunity to build something people could actually use,” said Lawrence Blackmon, co-founder of LegalEase, attorney, and Mississippi State Representative. “People are not blocked because they do not care. They are blocked because the process is confusing, expensive, and hard to access. Expungement.ai gives them a place to begin.”
Expungement.ai guides users through a plain-English screening built for people who may not know what is on their record, whether an old arrest matters, whether a conviction may be sealable, what paperwork is required, or where to file.
At its core is a national record-clearing engine built on state-specific rules, court routes, timing requirements, exclusions, terminology, and document paths. The platform does not treat every state the same. It evaluates each user’s answers against jurisdiction-specific pathways and only offers a paid self-help packet when the system identifies a supported route.
When a record-clearing path is available, users can generate a self-help document packet for a flat $50. When more information is needed, when a waiting period has not passed, or when a paid packet is not appropriate, Expungement.ai provides guidance instead of a charge.
“LegalEase exists to make non-complex legal issues easier to solve,” said Roger. “Most people do not need more complexity. They need a clear starting point, understandable tools, and an affordable way to take the next step. Expungement.ai is our first national product, and it sets the foundation for what comes next.”
Expungement.ai includes guided screening, state-specific pathways, saved results, filing checklists, and a personal Briefcase where users can return to their packets, reminders, and next steps. It also includes Wilma, LegalEase’s AI-powered guide, designed to help users understand the process while staying within clear safety boundaries.
LegalEase is also expanding RCAP, its Record Clearing Access Program, which gives nonprofits, reentry organizations, workforce programs, legal-aid partners, community groups, and local governments a co-branded way to offer guided record-clearing screening, sponsored access, and program-level reporting to the communities they serve.
“Community organizations already have the trust,” Lawrence said. “RCAP gives them the infrastructure to turn that trust into access, scale, and measurable impact.”
Founded by both Blackmon and Roman, LegalEase is building self-help legal technology for people who need answers, documents, and direction without having to hire an attorney for every step. Expungement.ai is the first in a series of planned releases as the company expands its platform for everyday legal access.
“Record clearing is just the beginning,” Roger said. “We are building LegalEase for people who have been priced out, confused out, or left out of the legal system. The goal is simple: give people tools that help them move forward.”
For more details and/or to get started with the service, visit Expungement.ai
About
LegalEase is a justice technology company building self-help tools that help people solve non-complex legal issues confidently and affordably. Its flagship product, Expungement.ai, helps users understand possible record-clearing pathways, generate self-help packets where available, and follow guided next steps. LegalEase also operates RCAP, the Record Clearing Access Program, a partner-facing platform that helps organizations expand access to record-clearing support.
LegalEase is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Courts and agencies make final decisions on record-clearing petitions, sealing requests, and related filings.
For press inquiries, contact Faith Walls at faith@legalease.com