This report outlines the developments in civil legal aid between July 2017 and December 2019.
Policymakers and Funders
Economic Impacts of Civil Legal Aid Organizations in Georgia
Investments made in 2011 in three of Georgia’s largest legal aid organizations — Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation, and Georgia Legal Services Program — yielded total economic impacts amounting to 8.5 times the invested funds.
An Assessment of the Economic and Societal Impacts of Three Legal Services Programs Funded by The Marin Community Foundation 2009-2012
Three organizations in Marin County, California — Legal Aid of Marin (LAM), Family and Children’s Law Center (FACLC), and Canal Alliance’s Immigration Legal Services (CA-ILS) — in aggregate helped clients in more than 17,000 cases and yielded $38.3 million in economic benefits and cost savings to the entire Marin community during 2009-2012.
Investing In Justice, Strengthening Communities: How Everyone in Missouri Benefits from Funding for Legal Aid
Legal aid is cost-effective. Every dollar of revenue for a Missouri legal aid program produces $1.84 of measurable economic impacts and many other benefits that are not quantifiable.
North Country Civil Legal Services Appropriation: Semi-Annual Report to the Judicial Council
During the two year period, NHLA helped North Country clients obtain federal disability benefits and health care coverage worth more than $1,589,637. The program cost $270,000 to run.
Strength in Justice: Ohio’s Legal Aids Energizing Our Economy and Building Our Communities
In 2010, Ohio’s legal aid entities operated with a budget of $49.1 million. This in turn, generated an additional $56.8 million in economic output across Ohio — a return of 115% for every dollar invested.
Randomized Evaluation in Legal Assistance: What Difference Does Representation (Offer and Actual Use) Make?
The randomized evaluation found that the offers of representation from the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau (HLAB) clinic had no statistically significant effect on the probability that an unemployment claimant would prevail in the “appeal”.
Report of the Pro Bono Task Force
LSC created a 67-member Pro Bono Task Force which has compiled recommendations to LSC and its grantees, as well as a set of requests for the legal profession as a whole.
Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study
J.J. Prescott and Sonja B. Starr of University of Michigan published a study on expungement uptake, recidivism rates, and employment outcomes among people who obtained set-asides (which is similar to expungement) in Michigan.
The Opioid Crisis in America & the Role Medical-Legal Partnership Can Play in Recovery
This brief presents four case studies of medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) with projects dedicated to assisting those with opioid use or substance use disorder in Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Portsmouth (Ohio) and Reno. It finds that MLPs are successful at reducing barriers to employment, stabilizing families, and improving health.
Legal Aid Research 