This is a preliminary report on the effect legal representation has on parents involved in Mississippi’s juvenile dependency system. Providing legal representation to parents in the juvenile dependency system is found to improve outcomes for children (p. 3). The results described in this report are descriptive. They also find that providing legal representation to parents in juvenile dependency cases increases the likelihood the parents themselves attend court.
Researchers and Academics
Evaluation of the Sargent Shriver Civil Counsel Act (AB590) Housing Pilot Projects
This report evaluated the Sargent Shriver pilot projects, which provided representation to individuals involved child custody, guardianship, and housing cases. They find that having legal representation in each of these areas correlates with positive outcomes for the client.
Erasing the mark of a criminal past: Ex-offenders’ expectations and experiences with record clearance
Adams and colleagues conducted interviews with 40 individuals who had criminal records. Those who were able to get their record cleared from their records reported as if they had a new identity and the record clearing facilitated their reintegration.
Environmental Improvements Brought by Legal Interventions in the Homes of Poorly Controlled Inner-City Adult Asthmatic Patients: A Proof-of-Concept Study
This study investigates how legal assistance improves physical housing conditions. O’Sullivan finds that when legal aid can address some of the underlying housing conditions — such as mold and mice — emergency department use drops and medication necessary is reduced.
Effects of Parental and Attorney Involvement on Reunification in Juvenile Dependency Cases
This study finds that parents who obtain legal representation in child welfare cases are more likely to have their children returned to them. And, if the father is present, this likelihood increases further.
Effective Child Support Policy for Low-Income Families: Evidence from Street Level Research
Waller and Plotnick perform a content analysis on qualitative research that studied how low-income parents interact with the child support system. They find that low-income parents prefer informal arrangements of child support over formal ones and do not comply with the support orders if they perceive them to be unfair, counterproductive, or punitive.
Medical-Legal Strategies to Improve Infant Health Care: A Randomized Trial
This study on medical-legal partnerships find that when parents have access to legal services, they are more likely to complete their child’s immunization schedule on time (p<0.01) at six and eight months. Further, those infants were more likely to have routine preventative care visits.
Comprehensive Services for Survivors of Human Trafficking: Findings From Clients in Three Communities
Researchers at the Urban Institute conducted interviews with survivors of human trafficking and social service providers. They find a large unmet need for legal services.
Debt Relief and Debtor Outcomes: Measuring the Effects of Consumer Bankruptcy Protection
Researchers at the National Bureau of Economic Research analyzed 500,000 bankruptcy filings. They find that chapter 13 protection increases earnings, decreases mortality, and decreases foreclosure rates. When individuals are no longer followed by their debt, they experience several positive externalities.
Special Issue Introduction: Immigrants and the Family Court
In this article, Theo Liebman and Lauris Wren, take stock of the landscape of the intersection between immigration and family law. They present what we know about immigration and family court, what we need to know, and implications for family lawyers and judges.
Legal Aid Research 