Researchers find that the needs of homeless veterans has remained relatively consistent through the last five years of the CHALENG survey, pointing to the long-term needs of homeless veterans. At the top of the list is the need for legal assistance.
Practice Areas
Needs and Issues of Latino and Native American Nonparental Relative Caregivers: Strengths and Challenges within a Cultural Context
This study interviewed Latino and Native American grandparents about their social and legal needs. In interviews conducted with Native American caregivers, the article noted “legal custodial issues as critical” and “reported legal aid as a significant need” (p. 364). For those interviewed, Native American grandparents reported a median income of $1,300.
Meeting the Legal Needs of Human-Trafficking Survivors
Byrne outlines the legal needs of human trafficking survivors (including expungement or vacatur, trauma-informed representation, autonomy, etc.), the challenges faced by lawyers who represent trafficking survivors, poses an argument for self-directed representation of survivors who are minors, and offers guidance for lawyers who seek to serve this population.
Medical-Legal Partnerships At Veterans Affairs Medical Centers Improved Housing And Psychosocial Outcomes For Vets
Researchers analyzed data from 950 veterans who used serviced provided at four MLPs. They find that veterans most frequently reported problems related to benefits, housing, family, and consumer finance. After receiving services through a MLP, the veterans experienced improvements in housing, income, and mental health.
High Quality Legal Representation for All Parties in Child Welfare Proceedings
This ACF memo encourages child welfare agencies, courts, administrative offices of the courts, and Court Improvement programs to ensure that parents, children, and child welfare agencies receive high quality legal representation at all stages of child welfare proceedings.
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.
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.
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.
Legal Aid Research 