Domino's Pizza Tracker once revolutionized the concept of transparency via digital pizza status tracking. Can PACER take a cue from it? This week's #ProofOverPrecedent suggests the need for better user experience with digital court records, which are currently geared toward the majority of its users who work as attorneys or in the court system rather than the 25% of its users who are self-representing individuals. With a new Case Modernization Effort pushing an update to PACER, our HLS student podcast host argues that now is the time to improve access to justice by including design input from pro se litigants. Take a listen or read the blog: https://buff.ly/2UNDVoe #AccessToJustice #TechForGood #LegalInnovation
Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
Research Services
Cambridge, Massachusetts 594 followers
Using empirical research to make the U.S. justice system work better for everyone
About us
The Access to Justice Lab (A2J Lab) was established in 2016 at Harvard Law School to use evidence-based thinking, especially through randomized control trials (RCTs), to address access to justice in the U.S. legal system. Since then, the A2J Lab has conducted dozens of (RCTs) in legal settings across the country and has created the first-of-its-kind empirical knowledge base in law. We evaluate potential solutions (including some we construct) in access to legal services and generalize the results into actionable lessons and policy recommendations for policymakers, judges, and legal practitioners.
- Website
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https://a2jlab.org/
External link for Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
- Industry
- Research Services
- Company size
- 2-10 employees
- Headquarters
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2016
- Specialties
- Legal and policy research
Employees at Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
View 5 employees at Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
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Locations
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1607 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, US
Updates
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Come hear about the guaranteed income project the A2J Lab is working on with Mothers Outreach Network. Our own Renee Danser will be joining Joyce McMillan to discuss the research and pilot project on Friday, Nov. 6. Registration is open!
Meet our fireside chat speakers – Renee Danser and Joyce McMillan – who join us on Friday, Nov. 6 for our Mother Up National Convening. Renee Danser is the Associate Director of Research & Strategic Partnerships at the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School and Joyce McMillan is the Founder & Executive Director of JMACforFamilies. This powerful fireside chat will discuss the Mother Up Pilot research, major findings, and share how the intersection of the family policing system and guaranteed income affects mothers and families. You won’t want to miss this conversation! Learn more & register: bit.ly/MotherUpConvening #CashisCare #PovertyisNotNeglect #MotherUpNational
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One of our great HLS students has pointed out a crucial missing link in the source of judiciary trust—accessible data. When "open" records are not truly open and accessible for use by others, we all miss out on possible insights from court trends, collaborative work, and overall trust in our judicial system. Listen to this week's #ProofOverPrecedent episode: https://buff.ly/wdq5IC2 #AccessToJustice #OpenData #LegalInnovation
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We know having an attorney helps clients in court. But in the complex world of immigration court, is an attorney more impactful for a just outcome at the trial level or appeals court? And how does an attorney's help compare to self-help materials for a pro se litigant in immigration hearings? We're building a study to find out. We have a great conversation this week on #ProofOverPrecedent that sheds light on the dizzying (and oft changing) world of immigration court. Hear from A2J Lab's Jim Greiner and Renee Danser and our field partners at Neighbors Immigration Clinic and No More A Stranger Foundation. https://buff.ly/1IGUMsh @kyneighbors @nomaslegal #ImmigrationLaw #AccessToJustice #HarvardA2JLab #HarvardLaw
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The latest #ProofOverPrecedent episode features an interview with researchers from Vera Institute about their study on the effects of lawyers in detained immigrant proceedings. Can they make a difference in case outcomes or in strengthening due process? Take a listen. https://buff.ly/VfpytF4 #ImmigrationLaw #AccessToJustice
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Reminder that the informational webinar for this incredible opportunity to be part of building a better civil court system starts in 2 hours...
📣 Applications are now open for the Uncomplicated Courts Initiative Pilot Project! IAALS and the National Center for State Courts are seeking one state or local court to redesign how it handles a high-volume civil case type, such as debt collection, eviction, or small claims. Judges, court administrators, clerks, self-help center staff, and other court stakeholders are encouraged to apply. https://lnkd.in/d5UxyyS8 The selected court will receive: ▪ Up to $30,000 in funding ▪ A year of hands-on support from IAALS and NCSC ▪ Help assessing, redesigning, and launching a simpler court process In roughly 75 percent of civil cases, at least one party is navigating the legal system without a lawyer. This pilot will help one court go beyond helping people navigate complexity—and simplify the underlying process itself. 📅 Informational webinar: October 5 at 12 p.m. MT Register: https://lnkd.in/dGszbZ4X 📅 Application deadline: October 23 at 11:59 p.m. MT Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/d5UxyyS8 Please share this opportunity with courts and court leaders in your network. The Uncomplicated Courts Initiative is a partnership between IAALS and the National Center for State Courts, with funding from the State Justice Institute.
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Our RCTs at the A2J Lab at Harvard Law School take multiple years, sometimes a decade, from start of a project to the final report. Our recently completed Online Courts study was no different, taking several years of work to compare remote hearings to in-person hearings for family law cases in an effort to find the most effective modality. But this one took an unexpected turn. This week's #ProofOverPrecedent looks at this promising study, the challenges it ran into, and the lessons learned from it. https://buff.ly/xMuG2Vc #AccessToJustice #EvidenceBasedLaw #FamilyCourtReform
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What an awesome opportunity for a state or local court! If you're interested in redesigning and modeling a better civil court system for everyone--especially self-represented litigants--this is your chance. Oct. 5 is the informational webinar for interested courts.
📣 Applications are now open for the Uncomplicated Courts Initiative Pilot Project! IAALS and the National Center for State Courts are seeking one state or local court to redesign how it handles a high-volume civil case type, such as debt collection, eviction, or small claims. Judges, court administrators, clerks, self-help center staff, and other court stakeholders are encouraged to apply. https://lnkd.in/d5UxyyS8 The selected court will receive: ▪ Up to $30,000 in funding ▪ A year of hands-on support from IAALS and NCSC ▪ Help assessing, redesigning, and launching a simpler court process In roughly 75 percent of civil cases, at least one party is navigating the legal system without a lawyer. This pilot will help one court go beyond helping people navigate complexity—and simplify the underlying process itself. 📅 Informational webinar: October 5 at 12 p.m. MT Register: https://lnkd.in/dGszbZ4X 📅 Application deadline: October 23 at 11:59 p.m. MT Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/d5UxyyS8 Please share this opportunity with courts and court leaders in your network. The Uncomplicated Courts Initiative is a partnership between IAALS and the National Center for State Courts, with funding from the State Justice Institute.
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How do pro se litigants measure "fair" treatment in court? And does it differ between remote and in-person hearings? This week's #ProofOverPrecedent discusses a partner study focused on procedural justice in family law cases. Take a listen or read the blog: https://buff.ly/iMAHFTa #AccessToJustice #OnlineCourts #LegalInnovation
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Thanks for helping to make these connections, Renee Danser!
It's always a delight to spend time with the medical legal partnership at Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. They've built an amazing team and as the companion site to the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School's evaluation of the role of MLP's in child welfare system prevention they are helping to build the evidence base around alternative models to system engagement for families.
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