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.
The Legal Response to the Employment Needs of Domestic Violence Victims
Runge writes that domestic violence victims present a myriad of legal needs, some of which include needing accommodations at a place of employment, like missing work to attend court or counseling or missing work due to injuries. They may exceed annual leave and be under threat of losing their jobs. Legal aid can help secure accommodations and protect them at the workplace.
Indefinite Punishment and the Criminal Record: Stigma Reports Among Expungement-Seekers in Illinois
Ipsa-Landa and Loeffler find that criminal records stifle educational, employment, and housing opportunity. They interviewed individuals who are seeking to have their records expunged. They find that these individuals had tried to persuade their landlords and potential employers in the past to overlook their criminal record when applying for housing or a job, but they were often unsuccessful.
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.
Legal Aid Research 