Our Vision
They could:
• enable far more people, especially those who can’t afford to hire lawyers, to access civil justice;
• make the criminal justice system fairer and more efficient; and
• promote the dignity and respect of individuals and families as they encounter the justice system.
The Access to Justice Lab creates and shares the rigorous evidence needed to make these transformations happen.
A Program of
Theory of Change:
access-to-justice interventions and gold-standard, randomized evaluations
randomized control trials to find out what works for individuals and families in civil and criminal law
lessons learned and best practices to transform the system
current and future practitioners, scholars, and judges in research methods and results to increase capacity and support for rigorous empirical methods
7
Projects in the Field
1,794
Pages of self-help materials designed
7,700+
Study Participants
Latest news
Access to justice issue of Dædalus available free online
If you’re looking for some good reading this week, we’ve got you covered. The current issue of Dædalus, a publication of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, is entirely focused on how the U.S. can address the access to justice gap. The first-ever open access issue of the journal, the publication includes twenty-four essays that cover a Read more about Access to justice issue of Dædalus available free online[…]
Ready, set…
Ready, set…2019! Before we start the new year, we want to thank all of you who have made 2018 such a success. With your support, this past year we’ve: Launched new studies (including our evaluation of holistic defense in Tennessee); Built exciting new collaborations across the country and worked with more students than ever to Read more about Ready, set…[…]
The TN Social Work in Public Defense Study Has Launched!
April Faith-Slaker has been on the road this past week launching the Lab’s newest field operation. Working closely with a group of collaborators throughout Tennessee, April has over the past eight months co-developed and now launched an evaluation of the impact of a holistic defense approach that includes social workers on the public defense team. Read more about The TN Social Work in Public Defense Study Has Launched![…]
Divorce evaluation results are in!
We’ve completed the Philadelphia divorce study, and we’re excited to share the results! You can read about the study’s findings in Faculty Director Jim Greiner’s op-ed in the Philadelphia Inquirer online. (Note: philly.com uses a limited paywall with a ten-article limit.) After six years of work with our partners in Philadelphia VIP, an organization that matches low-income Read more about Divorce evaluation results are in![…]
What’s the point of a p-value?
Earlier this year, the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University was caught up in a scandal. The alleged transgression? P-hacking. If you have no idea what that means, this post is for you. The papers from our completed studies all use a metric called a “p-value” in the results. A p-value (“p” for probability) Read more about What’s the point of a p-value?[…]
Virtual Reality in Access to Justice
Matthew joined the A2J Lab at the end of July to help study how we can best use technology to bring access to justice. One of the first technologies he set out to study was Virtual Reality. Technology moves quickly and how emerging technology can increase access to justice is of great importance to the Read more about Virtual Reality in Access to Justice[…]
Staff Profile: Renee Danser
As my inaugural blog post, it seems most appropriate to give the blog world an opportunity to get to know me, what I’m working on, and what I hope to work on with my A2J Lab colleagues. So, we’ll reserve the deep and ponderous thinking for the next post. My Niece calls me Nay Nay Read more about Staff Profile: Renee Danser[…]
A2J Lab welcomes new staff
While the blog has been quiet over the past few month, the Lab’s offices have been busy! We’re excited to announce that we have three new members of the research team. Renee Danser joins the Lab as Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships. Bringing significant experience in court administration, Renee most recently served as Read more about A2J Lab welcomes new staff[…]
Listen In: Developing Research Partnerships
Legal Talk Network‘s On the Road 2018 Equal Justice Conference podcast series featured April Faith-Slaker in a podcast segment discussing why research partnerships are necessary to improving access to justice. You can hear Kimberly Sanchez’s full interview with Ellen Lawton (Co-Director, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University), Read more about Listen In: Developing Research Partnerships[…]
RCTs and Other Evaluation Methods
With so many types of assessments, evaluation designs, and research methods out there, it can often be really confusing for non-profits to figure out which approach to take when assessing the effectiveness of their programs. The A2J Lab has certainly spent some time talking about the value of the randomized control trial method, but how Read more about RCTs and Other Evaluation Methods[…]
Lab Staff
D. James Greiner
Read Full Bio »
Renee L. Danser
Read Full Bio »
April Faith-Slaker
Read Full Bio »
Ryan Halen
Read Full Bio »
Natasha Khwaja
Read Full Bio »
Carole Mason
Read Full Bio »
Sandy North
Read Full Bio »
Matthew Stubenberg
Read Full Bio »