Access to Justice Lab
at Harvard Law School

Our MethodOur Studies

Our Vision

Imagine if lawyers, judges, and decision makers used rigorous evidence to design and run the U.S. justice system.

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

Current Evaluations

Theory of Change:

Transforming the justice system by:

  • 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

By the numbers:

15

Projects in the field

11

Projects in development

18

U.S. states in which the A2J Lab has projects underway or in development

Latest news

A2J Lab Staff

D. James Greiner

Faculty Director
Jim Greiner is a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. In 1991, he obtained a B.A. with High Honors from the University of Virginia, which he maintains is the greatest place in the universe.

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Rianna Brooks

Research Specialist and Administrative Assistant
Rianna Brooks is a research specialist and administrative assistant for the lab. She earned a B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic as the recipient of the Edward J. Meade Award for Innovation in Education.

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Renee L. Danser

Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships
Renee L. Danser, Esquire, is the Lab’s Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships. Ms. Danser obtained a B.A. and her J.D. from the University of Pittsburgh.

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April Faith-Slaker

Associate Director of Research Innovations
April Faith-Slaker is a researcher and attorney whose areas of focus have included pro bono legal services, the juvenile justice system and alternative dispute resolution.

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Ryan Halen

Data Analyst
Ryan Halen is a Data Analyst at the Access to Justice Lab and a doctoral candidate in Political Science at the University of Minnesota. Ryan’s research interests include political methodology and comparative politics.

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Natasha Khwaja

Project Manager, Financial Distress Research Project
Natasha Khwaja manages the Financial Distress Research Project. She earned a B.A. in International Relations and Anthropology from Tufts in 2018. Her previous work experience includes internships at several organizations including the Tufts Labor Lab.

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Sandy North

Administrative Director
Sandy North is the A2J Lab’s Administrative Director. She earned a B.A. in history summa cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in 2005 and an MBA with honors from Boston University in 2012.
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Matthew Stubenberg

Associate Director of Legal Technology
Matthew Stubenberg graduated from the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2009, and graduated cum laude from Maryland Law School in 2013. His research focuses on understanding how using technology can change how the law is practiced.

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