Two investigative journalists for ProPublica analyzed debt in collections by neighborhood tract. They find that debt is concentrated in neighborhoods that are majority black and that the average balance for which a balance was sued varies by race; white residents were sued for higher amounts, suggesting that they are better able to resolve smaller debts.
Policymakers and Funders
Improving the Protection and Fair Treatment of Unaccompanied Children: Recommendations for the Next Administration
This brief presents policy recommendations for the incoming administration, which range from improving border screening practices, improving shelter conditions, increasing access to legal counsel, expedited court procedures and impact on due process, adjudication of children’s immigration and asylum cases, and return and reintegration.
Disasters in Rural California: The Impact on Access to Justice
This report analyzes how disasters have disproportionately struck rural parts of California. These areas often have higher poverty rates than urban ones, and are typically the slowest to recover from disasters. During disaster and recovery, low-and modest-means communities often do not have access to legal remedies, meaning that recovery is often uneven. This report outlines how legal aid and pro bono assistance help residents in areas of housing, consumer issues, employment, insurance, public benefits, replacing vital records and documents, and accessing FEMA benefits.
Report of the Summit on the Use of Technology to Expand Access to Justice
The 51 attendees at the technology summit issued developed a strategy to implement the the use of technology to help with: document assembly for self-represented litigants; better “triage”—that is, identification of the most appropriate form of service for clients in light of the totality of their circumstances; mobile technologies; remote service delivery; expert systems and checklists; and unbundled services.
Clearing a Path to Justice: A Report of the Maryland Judiciary Work Group on Self-Representation in the Maryland Courts
This report outlines the work group’s efforts and study on self-represented litigants in Maryland. It provides an overview of the current efforts, initiatives, and recommendations on how to aid self-represented litigants, enhance the response of court staff, enhance the judicial response, support improvements in the legal services delivery system, and create an access to justice commission.
A 108% return on investment: The Economic Impact to the State of North Carolina of Civil Legal Services in 2012
The work of three civil legal services providers across North Carolina generated $48,775,276 in economic impact in 2012.
California’s Attorney Deserts: Access to Justice Implications of the Rural Lawyer Shortage
In this study, the California Commission on Access to Justice reports on attorney deserts — places where there are too few attorneys and high numbers of unmet legal needs. They find that attorney deserts are an acute problem in rural areas. This is not a problem concentrated in California — in the US, approximately 2 percent of small law practices are in rural places, serving approximately 20 percent of the US population.
Nonlawyer Navigators in State Courts: An Emerging Consensus
Researchers at The Justice Lab at Georgetown Law Center surveyed the current national landscape of nonlawyer navigators. They identified and analyzed 23 programs in 15 states and the District of Columbia. The report is based on extensive outreach and interviews with more than 60 informants who created, oversee or manage nonlawyer navigator programs in court settings. The report describes program features and offers practical considerations for creating and implementing such programs.
Violence Against American Indian and Alaska Native Women and Men
This research article uses the 2010 National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence survey to examine levels of sexual abuse, physical violence, stalking, and verbal abuse of American Indian and Alaskan Native women and men by their intimate partners.
Securing Equal Justice for All: A Brief History of Civil Legal Aid Assistance in the United States
By: Alan W. Houseman and Linda E. Perle. Published by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP). Published in May 2018. Link to article Link to PDF Houseman & Perle begin their article with a discussion of the early… Read More ›
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