Publications

2017 LSC Justice Gap Report

Legal Services Corporation (LSC)
June 14, 2017
The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) contracted with NORC at the University of Chicago to help measure the justice gap among low-income Americans in 2017. LSC defines the justice gap as the difference between the civil legal needs of low-income Americans and the resources available to meet those needs. NORC conducted a survey of approximately 2,000 adults living in households at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This report presents findings based on this survey and additional data LSC collected from the legal aid organizations it funds.

Massachusetts Trial Court Fines and Fees Working Group: Report to Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey

Honorable Paul C. Dawley, Honorable Lisa Ann Grant, Honorable Jeffrey A. Locke, Honorable Jay D. Blitzman, Paul J. Burke, Denise M. Fitzgerald, Michael P. Coelho, Georgia K. Critsley, A.W. (Chip) Phinney, Sarah W. Ellis
Trial Court Fines and Fees Working Group
November 17, 2016
The United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division published a “Dear Colleague” letter on March 14, 2016 outlining seven recommendations concerning court enforcement of fines and fees. The mission of the Working Group is to review the recommendations, and to evaluate 1) whether Massachusetts laws support each recommendation; and 2) whether the Trial Court is in compliance with each recommendation. This report further sets forth the Working Group’s proposals for adoption and implementation of the Department of Justice recommendations.

Defusing Debt: A Survey of Debt-Related Civil Legal Aid Programs in the United States

April Kuehnhoff, Cherie Ching
National Consumer Law Center
June 1, 2016
In order to better understand the work that civil legal aid programs are doing to serve some of the nation's most valuable consumers, the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) developed this survey to gather data about what kind of representation organizations provided to clients who are being contacted or sued by debt collectors, debt buyers, or creditors. Sixty-four civil legal aid organizations completed the comprehensive survey.

Aging, Women and Poverty in California: We Must Do More

Amber C. Christ, Carol M. Sewell, Sandra K. Fitzpatrick
California Women’s Law Center, California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, California Commission on Aging
In 2016, the CA Commission on Aging joined with the California Women's Law Center and the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls to host the first statewide convening focused on older women in poverty through the lenses of retirement options, elder justice, food insecurity, and health access. This article provides evidence that the relationship between legal services and Adult Protective Services (APS) and the Long Term Care Ombudsman should be strengthened in order to expand and improve elder justice resources.

Stopped, Fined, Arrested: Racial Bias in Policing & Traffic Courts in California

Theresa Zhen, Brittany Stonestifer, Alex Kaplan, Dana Isaac, Michael Herald, Kristina Harootun, Antionette Dozier, Meredith Desautels, Mari Castaldi, Elisa Della-Piana, Stephen Bingham
East Bay Community Law Center, Back on the Road California
April 1, 2016
This report describes the role that racial bias plays in the practices of police and traffic courts in California. Using records collected from the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, U.S. Census, and a host of police departments, the authors offer evidence that a disproportionate number of license suspensions and arrests related to unpaid fines and fees exacerbate poverty among low-income populations. The discussion also includes true accounts of such experiences as well as recommendations for alleviating issues related to the criminal justice system's handling of traffic infractions.

Five Evils: Multidimensional Race and Poverty in America

Richard V. Reeves, Elizabeth Kneebone, Edward Rodrigue
The Brookings Institution
April 14, 2016
The Brookings Institution presents a report outlining a multifaceted view of poverty in the United States. Researchers expand traditional definitions by highlighting the impacts of household income, education, poverty related to area of residence, health insurance, and employment, with focus on racial inequity. Trends in census data as well as implications for policy change are discussed.

Partnerships Between Health Care and Legal Providers in the Veterans Health Administration

Jack Tsai, PhD, Margaret Middleton, JD, Randye Retkin, JD, Cindy Johnson, JD, Kevin Kenneally, JD, Scott Sherman, MD
Psychiatric Services
December 12, 2016
Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) offer a unique union between legal aid and health care services. Focusing on the operations of Veteran Health Administration (VHA) medical centers in Connecticut and New York, this report describes MLP development and application in the context of veterans' needs. After discussing the critical needs of the veteran population, the authors conclude with steps regarding how to go about establishing an MLP.

LegalAidResearch.org

Research & Evidence for Civil Legal Aid

2017 LSC Justice Gap Report

Massachusetts Trial Court Fines and Fees Working Group: Report to Trial Court Chief Justice Paula M. Carey

Defusing Debt: A Survey of Debt-Related Civil Legal Aid Programs in the United States

Stopped, Fined, Arrested: Racial Bias in Policing & Traffic Courts in California

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