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.
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
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Projects in the field
11
Projects in development
18
States in which the A2J Lab has projects
Latest news
New study! Evaluating Counsel at First Appearance in Hays County, TX
Texas A&M University’s Public Policy Research Institute (PPRI) and the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School (A2J Lab) are launching a randomized study of counsel at first appearance (CAFA) in Texas—the first study of its kind. At first appearance, magistrates decide whether a person will be released while awaiting trial or held in Read more about New study! Evaluating Counsel at First Appearance in Hays County, TX[…]
The A2J Lab is hiring
Are you interested in learning about managing RCTs in the legal profession? Work with us—we’re hiring! We have an opening for a new Research Specialist to support the operations of some of our current research studies. If you’re interested in hands-on experience of quantitative research in law, we’d love to hear from you. All inquires Read more about The A2J Lab is hiring[…]
New study! Accessing SNAP benefits in Alaska
In partnership with Alaska Legal Services Corporation (ALSC), the A2J Lab has launched a randomized control trial to evaluate community advocates’ services in the context of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP – aka Food Stamps) benefits arm of their programs. Low-income and elderly residents in Alaska are in need of access to these benefits. Read more about New study! Accessing SNAP benefits in Alaska[…]
The A2J Lab’s COVID-19 response
Like so many of our fellow researchers, the A2J Lab has been monitoring the COVID-19 situation as it evolves. We have taken the following steps to protect study participants, our study partners, and our staff: Field operations: We have required that our field partners cease any face-to-face interaction that occurs only because of our studies. Read more about The A2J Lab’s COVID-19 response[…]
Study of Eviction Diversion Begins in Miami
Harvard Law School Study of Eviction Diversion Begins in Miami Renters Seeking Repairs Can Get Legal Advice and Information to Avoid Eviction Miami, FL – Legal Services of Greater Miami is launching a first-in-the-nation study of an eviction diversion program, in partnership with Harvard Law School’s Access to Justice Lab. The Tenants’ Equal Justice Clinic, Read more about Study of Eviction Diversion Begins in Miami[…]
Upcoming webinar with Jim Greiner: Credible Measurements of the Socioeconomic Costs of Incarceration
Professor Jim Greiner on Credible Measurements of the Socioeconomic Costs of Incarceration Wednesday, February 26, 2020 12-1 PM (EST) Join A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner for a webinar focusing on empirical research in criminal justice. The United States incarcerates a higher fraction of its population than any other country in the world. Recent trends, including the election of Read more about Upcoming webinar with Jim Greiner: Credible Measurements of the Socioeconomic Costs of Incarceration[…]
Guest Post: Rohan Pavuluri on Founding Upsolve
Today’s guest post is authored by Rohan Pavuluri, co-founder and CEO at Upsolve, a nonprofit that helps low-income families file bankruptcy for free using an online web app. The idea for Upsolve grew out of Pavuluri’s work as a research assistant at the Access to Justice Lab. The Access to Justice Lab does not endorse Read more about Guest Post: Rohan Pavuluri on Founding Upsolve[…]
Join A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner in California this November
Friends on the West Coast, you have two opportunities to join A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner this November. A Conversation with Jim Greiner Wednesday, Nov. 13 6 – 8 pm Knobbe Martens 2040 Main St., 14th Floor Irvine, CA 92614 Co-hosted by the Harvard Law School Association of Orange County and the Harvard Law Read more about Join A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner in California this November[…]
The Final Stage Reentry Project
The Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School partners with Kansas Legal Services, Neighborhood Legal Services, and Pittsburgh-Area Law Schools on Criminal Record-Clearing Project in Kansas and Western Pennsylvania Kansas Legal Services, Inc. (KLS), Neighborhood Legal Services (NLS), the Duquesne University School of Law Civil Rights clinical program, and students and professors at the Read more about The Final Stage Reentry Project[…]
Summaries of Randomized Control Trials in the US Legal Profession
Melissa Gayton was a 2018-19 Special Projects Assistant with the Access to Justice Lab and is a graduate of Harvard College. In 2016, James Greiner and Andrea Matthews published an essay analyzing randomized control trials in the US legal profession. In the article, they defined randomized control trials as those that meet five criteria: They Read more about Summaries of Randomized Control Trials in the US Legal Profession[…]
A2J Lab Staff
D. James Greiner
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Rianna Brooks
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Renee L. Danser
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April Faith-Slaker
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Ryan Halen
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Becca Human
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Sandy North
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Matthew Stubenberg
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