 In 1999, the San Francisco Public Defender's office launched a Clean Slate program to expunge the criminal records of people whose old convictions had become obstacles to obtaining work, housing, and educational opportunities.In May, 2017, in response to expanded federal immigration enforcement priorities and increased arrests, the office launched its Immigration Unit, an innovative legal team that aids immigrant detainees.The Legal Educational Advocacy Program (LEAP) assigning an attorney trained in education law to serve families of youth represented by public defenders in criminal cases.