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”.
Employment
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.
Legislating Forgiveness: A Study of Post-Conviction Certificates as Policy to Address the Employment Consequences of a Conviction
A criminal record poses a variety of challenges to becoming a productive, law-abiding member of society. Certificates restoring eligibility for employment and certain licenses possess the potential to help individuals with a criminal record overcome such obstacles to achieve successful reentry. This study indicates that while the value of these documents often goes unrecognized by courts and employers, evidence suggests that legal aid providers can act as powerful advocates for expanding access to and successful implementation of certificates, ultimately facilitating stable employment.
2007-2008 Evaluation Findings Clean Slate Program
The LFA Group conducted an evaluation for the San Francisco Office of the Public Defender on the Clean Slate Program. LFA Group finds that the Clean Slate program reduced barriers to employment, education, public benefits, and housing.
Upstream Advocacy: Addressing Cancer Survivors’ Employment Problems Through Medical-Legal Partnerships
This article reviews the cultural changes that affect cancer survivors at work, explains how their legal needs can impact their quality of life, and proposes that medical-legal partnerships are an ideal model to provide legal resources to underserved survivors to help them avoid and address negative employment consequences.
Expungement of Criminal Convictions: An Empirical Study
Researchers at the University of Michigan find that record clearing interventions improves wages and employment trajectories. They find that only 6.5 percent of those eligible for an expungement seek out an expungement. They also find that those who have obtained expungements have significantly lower crime rates than the general population.
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.
Sequencing Disadvantage: Barriers to Employment Facing Young Black and White Men with Criminal Records
In this article, researchers had teams of black and white men apply for low-wage jobs throughout New York City. Half of the participants were given resumes with criminal records and the other half did not. They find that having a criminal record had a greater negative effect if the participant was black.
Unmarked: Criminal Record Clearing and Employment Outcomes
Researchers at UC Berkeley find that record clearing increases employment. Average employment rates grew in the years after the intervention from roughly 75% to 80%-85%.
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.
Legal Aid Research 