They examine why so many lawyers–especially those associated with legal aid, law schools, the private bar, and hospital general counsel–are collaborating with health care providers to deliver health-promoting legal services to low-income persons.
Case types – LSC
The Importance of Representation in Eviction Cases and Homelessness Prevention
Two randomized pilot projects in Massachusetts in 2009 involving eviction cases showed prevented evictions, protected the rights of tenants, and maintained shelter in a high rate of cases.
Foreclosures: A Crisis in Legal Representation
This is a review of the foreclosure crisis including the number of persons without legal representation in selected counties with high rates of foreclosure, why having a lawyer matters, the barriers to legal representation, concluding with recommendations.
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.
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”.
The Impact of Legal Counsel on Outcomes for Poor Tenants in New York City’s Housing Court: Results of a Randomized Experiment
Tenants with pro bono representation from the program did significantly better than tenants that did not have representation. Representation did not significantly impair the court system’s efficiency.
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.
Social Determinants and Military Veterans’ Suicide Ideation and Attempt: a Cross-Sectional Analysis of Electronic Health Record Data
A study funded by the VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans and published by the Journal of General Internal Medicine in November 2019 analyzed the relationship between adverse social determinants of health (including violence, housing instability, financial/employment problems, legal problems, familial/social problems, lack of access to care/transportation, and nonspecific psychosocial needs) and suicide ideation and attempt among veterans.
Effects of an Interdisciplinary Approach to Parental Representation in Child Welfare
Researchers analyzed the impact of interdisciplinary representation (i.e., having a legal team which incorporates other professionals for parents in child welfare proceedings. They found that when parents received interdisciplinary representation, children spent an average of 118 fewer days in foster care during the four years following the abuse or neglect case filing. Children whose parents received interdisciplinary representation achieved overall permanency, reunification, and guardianship more quickly.
Legal Aid Research 