A Harsh Sentence

Rosemary Gousman, the managing partner of the New Jersey office, was interviewed for the July 24 New York Post article "A Harsh Sentence." The article noted that a growing number of job-hunters are having trouble finding work due to prior run-ins with the law, even for minor offenses or long-ago youthful indiscretions. In the aftermath of 9/11 and increasing incidents of workplace violence, companies are under pressure to screen out workers who may present security issues. Computerized databases have made applicants' records easier to access and search. Rosemary pointed out that the more some companies dig into applicants' backgrounds, the more other companies feel pressure to do likewise, or else they leave themselves open to being sued for negligent hiring. Her advice to anyone in this situation: "If your conviction is minor and you've been on good behavior ever since, talk to an attorney about getting it expunged from your record."