Over the last several weeks New Jersey, Illinois, the District of Columbia, and San Francisco have joined the ranks of states and local governments across the country that have adopted so-called "ban the box" laws or ordinances. Generally, these rules prevent employers from asking about an applicant's criminal history at the beginning of the job application process and allow such inquiries to occur only after the applicant has passed an initial employment screening. According the National Employment Law Project, 67 cities and counties and 13 states have adopted such provisions.1 More cities and states are expected to follow suit. [read the full story here]