In the advent of online access to limited legal services, Oregon examines its civil legal aid system and assembled two task forces — the Legal Innovations Committee and the Regulations Committee — to create recommendations of how the state can incorporate online resources and the provision of limited-legal services into its civil legal aid system.
Legal Aid Attorneys
Economic Return on Investment of Providing Counsel in Philadelphia Eviction Cases for Low-Income Tenants
In this economic return on investment study of providing legal counsel for those in eviction cases, Stout Risius Ross found that establishing a right to counsel would help the city avoid $45.2 million in costs annually, while the total cost to provide representation is $3.5 million. They analyzed docket data to assess the impact representation would have on the outcome of an eviction case. They analyzed the distribution of outcomes, the incremental impact of representation, and a repeat case analysis.
Economic Impact of Civil Legal Aid Services in Maine
The report reviews various outcomes associated with civil legal services, including those related to federal dollars flowing into Maine, non-federal monetary awards obtained, community cost savings, and higher incomes.
Data on access to counsel and reintegration services for children and their impact on improving policies and protection for Central American unaccompanied children
This article demonstrates how improved access to legal representation increases children’s access to humanitarian protection. Increased access to representation would mean more responsive migration policy and greater protection. They use data from approximately 16,000 cases.
Child Maltreatment and Immigration Enforcement: Considerations for Child Welfare and Legal Systems Working with Immigrant Families
This article presents an overview of the issues and challenges facing Hispanic children and families in the child welfare system. It presents risk factors associated with child welfare involvement, child placement rates for Hispanic and non-Hispanic children, and immigration enforcement as a risk for child welfare involvement.
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%.
Using Preventive Legal Advocacy to Keep Children from Entering Foster Care
Vivek Sankaran, a professor at University of Michigan, shows how “a lawyer may be able to prevent a child from entering foster care in the first instance. Children may unnecessarily enter foster care because their parents are unable to resolve legal issues that affect their safety and well-being in their home” (p. 1037). Sankaran also describes a new model to provide social and legal advocacy to parents.
Unaccompanied Children and the U.S. Immigration System: Challenges and Reforms
Chen and Gill take stock of the current legal protections unaccompanied children are protected by. They find that there are many challenges that stem from the lack of guaranteed legal representation for children in immigration court. They provide recommendations for policymakers.
Economic and Other Benefits Associated with the Provision of Civil Legal Aid
This article gathers the results of the existing studies of the financial and other societal benefits of the work of civil legal aid programs, which provide free or low-cost legal assistance to low-income individuals. It also identifies ongoing or planned research projects.
The Needs of Native Americans with Disabilities: 2007 Needs Assessment
The Native American Disability Law Center is the sole provider of civil legal services that primarily focuses on Native Americans with disabilities in New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado, and Utah. The Center conducted a survey and needs assessment of their clients. They find that their clients face poverty, isolation and discrimination and their clients report high levels of satisfaction with their services.
Legal Aid Research 