Author Archives
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The Economic Impact and Social Return on Investment of Civil Legal Aid Services in the State of Louisiana
This social return on investment study finds that the immediate net direct value of services to be approximately $34.3 million and the long-term net consequential value to be $59.7 million. Overall, they find that for every $1 invested in legal aid in Louisiana, Louisiana received an immediate $8.73 immediate and long-term financial benefits.
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Economic Impacts of Civil Legal Aid Organizations in Virginia: Civil Justice for Low-Income People Produces Ripple Effects That Benefit Every Segment of the Community
In FY 2009-10, civil legal aid provided, in a conservative estimate, a total quantifiable economic impact of $139 million, a return of $5.27 for every dollar invested legal aid programs from all sources.
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Legal Problems and the Poor
The national survey found that there is a disproportionate percentage of individuals who experience legal problems — 10 percent of people who experienced at least one legal problem experienced one-third of all legal problems. They also find that low-income people were more likely to experience legal problems.
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Legal Deserts: A Multi-State Perspective on Rural Access to Justice
The researchers surveys rural populations in six states — California, Georgia, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine, and South Dakota — to provide insights on the rural challenges confronting each of these states, the legal resources available, and existing policy responses.
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Increasing Access to Restraining Orders for Low-Income Victims of Domestic Violence: A Cost-Benefit Analysis of the Proposed Domestic Abuse Grant Program
This report evaluates the benefits and costs of expanding the Domestic Abuse Grant Program (DAGP) to improve access to legal aid for women seeking restraining orders. Overall, the research team estimated that the net benefit from enacting the DAGP expansion would be $9,840,500.
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An Analysis of Rules that Enable Lawyers to Serve Self-Represented Litigants
This ABA analysis provides an overview the the rules authorizing limited scope representation, rules clarifying communications between counsel and parties, rules creating parameters for the lawyer’s role in document preparation, and rules governing the entry of appearances and withdrawals in court.
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National Evaluation of the Legal Assistance for Victims Program
The Legal Assistance for Victims Program (LAV) “has been a success” by promoting the delivery of high-quality and comprehensive services among legal aid and domestic violence victim service programs. The federal evaluation finds that despite LAV, there is a “chronic unmet need for attorneys.”
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The Economic Impact of Iowa Legal Aid
Iowa Legal Aid’s financial impact on the Iowa economy in 2011 totaled $28,729,291.29. This represents a return of $6.71 for every single dollar invested in Iowa Legal Aid by sources within Iowa.
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Representation in Mediation: What We Know From Empirical Research
The impact of representation for parties in mediation was largely indeterminate. Wissler suggests more research with random assignment of lawyers. She notes that lawyers may have become more adept at handling mediation over the last few years, since most of the studies reviewed in this article.
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Improving Civil Justice in Rural America
The California Commission on Access to Justice analyzes the quality and access to civil justice in rural California, discussing the legal needs, the profile of rural legal assistance, how the courts, self-help centers, and other community organizations can be involved, and how the legal aid community can engage with pro bono. Among other findings, the study finds that housing, labor violations, domestic violence, access to health care and services, legal problems facing the elderly and persons with disabilities, language assistance, and tribal-related issues were the top legal needs of rural Californians.
Legal Aid Research 