Research Database

What Makes Court Forms Complex? Studying Empirical Support for a Functional Literacy Approach

This article describes an empirical study examining the complexity of court forms. The researchers obtained direct feedback from individuals without legal training who were attempting to complete a standard court form. The researchers conclude that “using a functional literacy approach, coupled with robust human testing, generates useful insights about court-form complexity that will facilitate the […]

Winning the right to housing: Critical Reflections on a Holistic Approach to Public Interest Litigation

This report analyzes critical reflective practice for legal practitioners in order to bridge the gap between the theory and practice of public interest litigation. The litigation in question focused on the right to housing on behalf of people who are homeless or precariously housed. The report also positions the lack of affordable housing as a […]

Assisted Digital Support for Civil Justice System Users: Demand, Design, & Implementation

This report focuses on assisted digital support (ADS) – the process of assisting a person with lower digital capability to use a digital service. The report aims to build an understanding of the role that ADS services can play, as well as their limitations, to inform designers of online legal services. The report also addresses […]

Design for Justice: How Design and Technology can Help to Deliver Justice Better

This Australian report canvasses ways in which design principles and technology can be used to make the justice system work better. The authors recommend following several “design policies”, including: Build user-centred systems to deliver equitable solutions Make legal information easy to access and understand design data in a way that is open, transparent, and easy […]

Digital Delivery of Legal Services to People on Low Incomes 2017-18

This report provides an update about developments in digital delivery of legal services in British Columbia, Ontario, England, Wales, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the US, Australia, and the Netherlands. It discusses some of the issues digital delivery of public legal education and information (PLE) raises for governments, funders, providers and users, including digital divides. It builds […]

Does Community Legal Education Work? Educating English Language Students about Consumer Contracts

This Australian article presents the findings of a study that investigated the impact of a public legal education program for improving English language students’ knowledge and attitudes of the legal issues associated with buying a car. The findings demonstrate how public legal education can change participants’ attitudes and knowledge of the law.

Everyday Legal Problems and the Cost of Justice in Canada: Cost of Justice Survey Data

This report contains comprehensive data from a national random sample telephone survey of over 3,000 Canadians conducted by the Canadian Forum on Civil Justice in 2013-2014. According to the researchers, “the purpose of the study was to examine the nation’s experience with the justice system, and in particular, the kinds, methods of dealing with, and costs […]

Indigenous people and legal problem resolution

This report is one in a series of Australian reports published on the various types of barriers faced by Indigenous people facing legal problems. Using data from a previous nation-wide survey on civil legal needs, researchers found that Indigenous people are far more likely than others to have unresolved crime problems, and also the highest […]

Legal Secondary Consultation: How Legal Aid Can Support Communities and Expand Access to Justice

This report describes an innovative pilot project that took place at 3 community legal clinics in southwestern Ontario to help connect community workers and their clients more effectively to legal advice and referrals. The project work involves making a dedicated legal service professional available to provide one-on-one advice to community service providers. This in turn […]

Measuring Online Legal Resources: A Framework Inspired by the Drake Equation

This report explores an evaluation framework to try to assess whether online legal aid tools and resources make a different in addressing gaps in access to justice. The researchers used the “Drake Equation”, originally created in 1951 to list the factors that scientists should consider when determining whether there was extraterrestrial life. Through a series […]