Facing an eviction, a tenant has to decide if the added expense of an attorney is worth it for the possibility of avoiding an eviction judgment. In a discussion of a randomized controlled trial outside the A2J Lab, Faculty Director Jim Greiner talks with economists Aviv Caspi and Charlie Rafkin about when, why, and whether lawyers make a difference in evictions cases. The Memphis-based study coincided with a government emergency housing fund that expired during the RCT, which helped answer how lawyers can best make a difference as well.
Read the corresponding blog post.
Speakers:
- Aviv Caspi, a Research Lead at Stanford University’s Rhode Center and a Master of Legal Studies candidate at the University of Chicago Law School
- Charlie Rafkin, Assistant Professor of Economics at the University of British Columbia
- Jim Greiner, Honorable S. William Green Professor of Public Law at Harvard Law School; Faculty Director of the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
Resources mentioned:
- Legal Assistance for Evictions, October 2025
- The Works, Inc.
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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal