Legal Services Research Articles

Evaluating the Access to Legal Aid by Senior Citizens in India

The Indian Constitution guarantees older individuals, one of the most disadvantaged groups in society, the basic right to get legal help. However, senior citizens often encounter substantial obstacles in exercising this right. The purpose of this research study is to assess the availability of legal aid services for older individuals in India, investigating the efficacy of current frameworks and pinpointing the deficiencies that impede the elderly's equal access to the legal system. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research evaluates the effectiveness and scope of legal aid systems, including state legal aid services, the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA), and other welfare programs aimed at elderly residents. It does this by looking at both qualitative and quantitative data. The study offers a critical analysis of the laws, court rulings, and policy initiatives intended to provide legal assistance for older individuals. Additionally, it looks at the socioeconomic variables that add to the structural obstacles these people encounter, such illiteracy, physical immobility, and unstable finances. In order to get insight into the real-world obstacles faced by older individuals seeking legal recourse, the paper also contains interviews with experts, service providers, and recipients of legal assistance. Through the presentation of significant developments and case examples, this paper provides a thorough assessment of the state of legal assistance for older adults. It ends with policy proposals for increasing accessibility, such as growing outreach initiatives, raising public knowledge, and fortifying the framework supporting legal aid services. By supporting policies that can protect the rights and dignity of India's ageing population, the study aims to further the conversation on social justice.

Colorectal cancer legal and administrative burden support (COLLABS): A pilot clinical trial.

TPS307 Background: Patients with colorectal cancer often have health-related social needs (e.g. food insecurity, housing instability, employment loss). Failure to adequately address these is associated with financial hardship, worse quality-of-life, psychosocial distress, lower rates of treatment receipt, and worse survival. Cancer clinical care teams often lack the resources, knowledge, and processes to resolve these issues, many of which are actually legal in nature. Engagement with legal teams—medical-legal partnerships—can screen for, prevent, and resolve health-related social needs, as well as address related legal issues such as insurance denials, employment rights and protections, disability benefits, debt management, and estate planning. Cancer Legal Care (CLC) is a nonprofit providing free legal services to persons affected by cancer in MN. Past CLC clients have indicated a preference for proactive connection to CLC to prevent crises and overcome barriers to access such as concerns regarding perceived costs of legal services. Methods: This is a single-arm, pilot study to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of proactive and free legal care support for patients with colorectal cancer at the University of Minnesota. The enrollment goal is 20 patients and the trial duration is 6 months. Inclusion criteria include English-speaking adults with advanced stage colorectal cancer and estimated life expectancy of >6 months. There is no requirement for baseline health-related social need(s) or time from diagnosis. After participants complete baseline surveys, we will connect them to a CLC attorney for an initial “legal care checkup”— the timing and method of connection (in-person, video visit, or phone call) is based on patient preference. Patients can bring up self-identified or active issues themselves, while CLC will also screen for needs. CLC will provide any required legal services and engage with the cancer care team as needed. CLC will follow-up with participants at 3 and 6 months, though services may continue after the study period off trial. Participants will complete surveys at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Surveys will assess patient-reported outcomes on financial toxicity, quality-of-life, comfort levels with accessing cancer care, status of health-related social and legal needs, perceived stress, life mastery and engagement, relationship with CLC contact, and acceptability of the intervention. The primary outcomes are feasibility (rates of initial engagement, continued engagement, and intervention completion; feasible if >50% on each metric) and acceptability. We will conduct exit qualitative interviews. We will collect sociodemographics, rates of treatment adherence/ completion, legal services provided, outcome of legal issues, and monetary savings or recovery for patients. Enrollment opened August 2024 and we have enrolled 15/20 participants. Clinical trial information: NCT06475664 .

Help-seeking behaviors among survivors of intimate partner violence during pregnancy in 54 low- and middle-income countries: evidence from Demographic and Health Survey data

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a global issue of public health importance. Due to the low rates of help-seeking in response to IPV, research on survivors’ help-seeking behaviors is scarce, particularly within low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The present study provides a cross-national evidence of informal and formal help-seeking patterns among pregnant women experiencing IPV.MethodsThis study made use of population-based data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) Program from 54 LMICs, collected between 2005 and 2020 (N = 359,027). Applying bivariate and multivariable analyses, the present study examined IPV survivors’ help-seeking distributions and associations with individual, partner, family, and community factors.ResultsOnly half of survivors sought help in response to IPV during pregnancy with wide regional and national variations, mainly from informal support networks (including family, neighbors, and friends), and rarely from formal institutions (including legal, socio-cultural, and medical services). Evidence shows that help-seeking behaviors were associated with IPV survivors’ age and educational attainment, survivors’ employment status and earnings compared to their partners, survivors’ consumption of mass media, intimate partner’s age and education, spouse’s alcohol consumption and controlling behaviors, survivors’ wealth index, place of residence, and health-seeking barriers, among others.ConclusionPractitioners are encouraged to consider the study’s outcomes when designing interventions and support for survivors seeking help in response to IPV during pregnancy. Strong advocacy and action are needed, including fostering survivors’ educational attainment, diminishing pregnant women’s social and financial dependencies on their intimate partners, promoting pre- and peri-natal health care, informing survivors about help, and increasing gender equality by engaging women and men equally within the whole community.

Certifying Legal AI Assistants for Unrepresented Litigants: A Global Survey of Access to Civil Justice, Unauthorized Practice of Law, and AI

The global integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into legal services has created a critical need for clarity regarding unauthorized practice of law (UPL) rules. Traditionally, UPL rules prohibited unlicensed individuals from engaging in activities legally reserved for qualified attorneys, including, in some jurisdictions, offering legal advice, interpreting laws, representing clients in court, or drafting legal documents. Now that some AI systems can perform functions that practice of law regulating authorities have traditionally reserved for licensed attorneys, a framework is needed to certify the use of legal AI assistants by unrepresented litigants. Ensuring the accuracy of information provided by legal AI assistants for unrepresented litigants benefits the entire legal community, including attorneys, by promoting stricter standards and higher acceptance thresholds. We examine the perspectives of several primary stakeholders in certifying legal AI assistants, including unrepresented litigants, practice of law regulating authorities, judiciaries, the legislature, the legal aid community, and the legal tech community. We conduct a detailed survey of access to justice, AI, and UPL in various international jurisdictions, including Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Germany, India, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In each of these jurisdictions, we explore how UPL is currently managed in the context of legal AI use by unrepresented litigants. We also include a 50-state and 6-territory survey for the United States on what each Bar Association and Judiciary is doing to regulate legal AI use by unrepresented litigants. In light of this survey, we propose that practice of law regulating authorities add certified legal AI assistants to their lists of UPL exemptions so that such assistants can provide specific and useful legal information, guidance, and advice to unrepresented litigants. We propose a capability-based framework for certifying legal AI assistants for unrepresented litigants. This is intended as a harmonized global proposal, designed for local implementation by each jurisdiction’s practice of law regulating authority, with the flexibility to address individual jurisdictional nuances. Unrepresented litigants are already using AI chatbots for help in legal proceedings, sometimes to their detriment. Our proposal aims to allow unrepresented litigants to use legal AI assistants that have been verified for accuracy. This framework addresses the key justification for UPL restrictions—the risk of incorrect legal guidance—by basing the certification of individual capabilities on their accuracy when tested on public benchmark datasets. Legal AI assistants are added to lists of UPL exemptions under this approach if their accuracy meets or exceeds a certification threshold when tested on these public benchmark datasets. The jurisdiction’s practice of law regulating authority would set the certification threshold or, as we suggest, a third-party certifying authority delegated to perform this task. While many public benchmark datasets are required under this framework, the legal AI community is rapidly developing such datasets. To enable AI to enhance access to justice for unrepresented litigants globally, practice of law regulating authorities in each jurisdiction must choose to exempt certified legal AI systems for unrepresented litigants from unauthorized practice of law regulations.

Peranan Bidang DATUN Dalam Memberi Pendampingan Hukum Tentang Ganti Rugi Pengadaan Tanah Untuk Kepentingan Umum (Studi Kejaksaan Tinggi Sumatera Utara)

Land is one of the most important sources of life for humans, and one of its main functions is to be used as a place of residence, namely to build houses. In this case, to prevent land resolution from causing problems between government agencies and the community, the Indonesian Attorney General's Office, particularly the High Prosecutor's Office of North Sumatra in the field of Civil and State Administrative Law (DATUN), has fully utilized the authority of state attorneys in civil matters, granted by law and by delegation from a power of attorney. This includes legal assistance, law enforcement, legal considerations, legal services, and other actions. The role of the state attorney is to provide legal assistance to the government and the community in resolving land acquisition for public benefit. Land resolution related to land acquisition for public benefit can be carried out in two ways, namely by forcibly extinguishing rights and through consent. The purpose of this writing is to explain how the Civil and State Administrative Law sectors, specifically the State Attorney, act as legal advisors in the matter of land acquisition for public interest. This includes issues of compensation for land that will be used for public purposes.

Examine The Role Played by International Actors in Providing Psycho-Social Support to GBV Survivors in Nakivale Refugee Settlement.

This study examines the role of international actors in providing psychosocial support to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement. Employing a pragmatic research philosophy, a mixed-methods approach was utilized, integrating both qualitative and quantitative data to gain a comprehensive understanding of the psychosocial challenges faced by refugees. A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 166 participants, including 151 household heads and key informants such as local leaders and NGO representatives. Results revealed that an overwhelming 87% of respondents reported being psychologically affected by GBV, underscoring the urgent need for effective psychosocial interventions. The data indicated that 45.2% of survivors benefited from psychosocial support, enabling them to resume normal lives after experiencing depression. However, significant gaps remain, including economic instability and limited access to legal services, which hinder recovery and reintegration efforts. The findings highlight the critical importance of coordinated efforts among international actors, local governments, and community organizations to enhance the effectiveness of psychosocial support for GBV survivors. Recommendations include strengthening multi-sectoral collaboration, improving access to legal services, and addressing underlying socio-economic factors contributing to GBV in refugee contexts. This study contributes to the discourse on GBV in humanitarian settings and emphasizes the need for sustained investment in mental health and psychosocial services.

Analysis of the Digital Transformation of Legal Services and the Role of Policy Brokers in KOREA through the Advocacy Coalition Framework

This study examines the intersection of traditional legal services and technological innovation by employing an Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF). Our primary focus is on the protracted dispute between the Korean Bar Association and the LawTalk legal service platform. Emerging legal service platforms, such as LawTalk, have disrupted conventional legal frameworks, resulting in substantial regulatory and ethical disputes as digital transformation accelerates, as was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. This research examines the development of this conflict over a nine-year period, utilizing the ACF to analyze the roles and influence of the various advocacy coalitions involved. Our findings underscore the dual challenge of integrating new technologies within the rigid structures of traditional legal systems. The conflict, which is primarily focused on the legality and ethical implications of LawTalk's business model, is indicative of more general tensions between innovation and regulation. The critical role of neutral intermediaries in balancing stakeholder interests and adapting policies to technological advancements is underscored by the resolution process, which is mediated by policy brokers such as the Ministry of Justice. The case of LawTalk not only elucidates the intricacies of policy change in the digital era, but also provides valuable insights into the management of sectoral transformations that adhere to both established regulatory norms and innovation. This study elucidates the necessity of ongoing dialogue and adaptation in policy frameworks to accommodate technological change, thereby contributing to our understanding of policy dynamics in the legal domain.

Augmenting Legal Expertise: The Role of AI in Enhancing Human Capabilities in Legal Services

Augmenting Legal Expertise: The Role of AI in Enhancing Human Capabilities in Legal Services

Facing migration under adverse conditions: challenges and resilience in the Colombo-Venezuelan border area

BackgroundInternal displacement and cross-country migration are an increasing global phenomenon drawing the attention of politicians and the public. Causes and effects on the migrants and receptor populations are varied and often shaped by immigration laws and how migrants and refugees are being dealt with by local conditions, policy frameworks and by the host population (receptors). The massive influx of Venezuelan migrants into Colombia for more than a decade has characteristics which warrant a systematic analysis to identify contextual and individual factors favouring and hindering the well-being of migrants and their new Colombian neighbours of the receptor population.MethodsA household interview survey was conducted in two cities of the Colombo-Venezuelan border: Cucuta and Valledupar. The survey included 412 migrant families, comprising 1656 individuals, and 317 Colombian neighbour families, totalling 1077 individuals. Only migrants staying in the border area for more than 6 months and excluding “short term migrants” who cross the border only for getting treatment or schooling for their children. We used systematic sampling in neighbourhoods with the highest concentration of migrants. The sampling interval was set at every 7 and 6 migrant households. Ethical approval was obtained by the ethics committees of the three participating universities and the local health authority.ResultsVenezuelan migrants were younger than their Colombian neighbours (22.04 and 28.69 years respectively). The primary reason for migration among these individuals was economic (84.1%) and much less for political reasons (< 10%); about half of them had entered the country through an irregular crossings, known locally as “trochas”. Within this group, around 28% reported experiencing various forms of violence, particularly physical or verbal aggression, much less sexual assault. Following their arrival, irregular migrants had to go through a regulation (legalization) process in Colombia, with 48.1% having either initiated or completed this process. The target migrants have been living in Colombia for an average of 4.3 years, mostly in poor shelters, just as their Colombian neighbours (64.8% and 53% respectively). Both groups, but particularly the migrants, belonged to the lower socioeconomic strata according to their educational levels and occupations (street vendors including street musicians and entertainers; 21.6% of migrants and 10.6% of Colombian neighbours). They all had stressful life events recently, with economic hardship being the most significant one, especially among migrants. In terms of exposure to physical violence, the rates were almost equal for both groups. However, specific incidents such as theft, assault and intended homicide were more often experienced by the Colombian receptor population. Legal services were often sought by migrants, mostly in a special advice centre for migrants or from international organizations while their Colombian neighbours resorted mainly to national institutions including the police. For health issues migrants had often to go to private services with out-of-pocket payment while the Colombians accessed the health system through the subsidized or pre-paid health insurance. Emotional and psychological symptoms were frequent in both groups but more among migrants. The Colombian respondents had more frequently negative comments about migrants but acknowledged that they were exploited in Colombia and that they contribute to community activities and the local economy.ConclusionBoth Venezuelan migrants and their Colombian neighbours suffer significantly from the consequences of poverty and stressful living conditions. As such, they require equal attention from policymakers and public services. This attention should encompass enhanced security in the public spaces, accessible legal advice, and comprehensive health support.

Trends regarding Legal Profession Advertising

Legal advertising is the advertisement of legal services provided by a lawyer or a law firm to attract potential clients. The promotion and advertisement of legal services has undergone significant transformation in recent years. The transition from the prohibition of such advertising to the current acceptance and utilization of online platforms has not been without challenges. The rapid pace of this shift raises critical questions regarding the extent to which this abrupt change impacts the fundamental and long-established principles governing the legal profession.

Sexual risk orders as a tactic to counter sexual violence against women and girls

Research questionSexual Risk Orders (SRO) have been advocated as a means to prevent Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). This is despite significant detriment to the fundamental rights of the legally innocent and a lack of empirical assessment that can speak to preventative efficacy. This study asks; do SROs serve to prevent sexual-harm?DataThe Police National Computer (PNC) was used to identify two samples of SRO subjects. Legal Services’ data from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) was used to construct a counterfactual group, for whom SRO was considered but not obtained. PNC was used to identify arrests as a proxy for offending and a harm index applied.MethodsBefore-after and between-group comparisons are used, along with an interrupted-time-series analysis, to assess the relationship between SRO and sexual-harm prevention. Rank-ordering of harm caused by alleged sexual-offenders in London enables an estimate of how precisely SROs are used against the highest-harm offenders.FindingsSROs are associated with a significant 84.5% reduction in sexual-harm. This increases to a 93.1% reduction in the case of high-harm offenders, controlling for time incarcerated. Despite this, SROs are rarely used and are not systematically targeted against the most harmful offenders.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of the methodology we conclude that the evidence supports SRO use as a primary tactic to counter VAWG. Preventative impact may be maximised by increasing use, actively targeting SROs at the highest-harm offenders and considering use at an earlier stage of a subjects sexual-offending. A randomised trial is the next logical step to augment causal inference.

The Dynamics of Criminal Law Enforcement in Indonesia: An Analysis of Recent Cases in the Last Two Years and Their Contribution to the Achievement of the SDGs

Objective: Law enforcement in Indonesia regarding criminal cases involving children as victims aims to strengthen the rule of law and improve infrastructure such as the police, prosecutors, and courts. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified through Law No. 23 of 2002 concerning child protection, ensures that children are protected from all forms of violence, a fundamental right. The specific target of SDG 16 in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which focuses on ending all forms of violence against children, provides a renewed push towards realizing every child's right to live free from fear, neglect, abuse, and exploitation. This study aims to provide an overview of qualitative research on criminal cases involving children as victims in Indonesia. Theoretical Framework: This research adopts a theoretical approach that includes Law Enforcement Theory, the Concept of Restorative Justice, and the SDGs Framework. These frameworks connect legal norms, social behavior, and child protection, which interact to prevent children from being stigmatized by legal proceedings and to reduce violence, improve access to justice, and enhance the effectiveness of legal institutions. Method: This study employs a normative juridical approach, analyzing laws, doctrines, and practices concerning the implementation of Restorative Justice principles within Indonesia's juvenile criminal justice system. The data is analyzed qualitatively to provide a deeper understanding of the dynamics of criminal law enforcement and its connection to the Sustainable Development Goals. Results and Discussion: This study demonstrates that the reform of Indonesia's juvenile criminal justice system, which incorporates the principles of Restorative Justice, holds significant potential to advance the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG Goal 16 on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. For the Restorative Justice-based reform of the juvenile criminal justice system to effectively contribute to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals, it requires unwavering commitment from the government and all stakeholders to address the current challenges and continually strengthen the legal and institutional frameworks that support this reform. Research Implications: Law enforcement in cases involving children as both offenders and victims must adhere to child-friendly justice principles that ensure the protection of children's rights. The findings of this study can promote the enhancement of the juvenile criminal justice system, including the establishment of specialized courts for children, the provision of legal assistance services, and the application of humane treatment in accordance with the Juvenile Criminal Justice System Law. Originality/Value: This study focuses on child victims within the criminal justice system, a group often overlooked in academic and policy debates. By concentrating on this issue, the research examines how the law addresses child victims in various situations, including sexual violence, human trafficking, exploitation, and domestic abuse.

PARTICIPATION OF VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS IN PROVIDING ASSISTANCE TO INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS AS ONE OF THE MAIN DIRECTIONS OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE VOLUNTEER MOVEMENT IN UKRAINE AFTER THE REVOLUTION OF DIGNITY

The revolutionary events of late 2013 – early 2014, and especially the occupation of Crimea by the Russian Federation and the beginning of hostilities in the East of Ukraine, opened a new page in the development of the volunteer movement. The rise of volunteer activity in Ukraine was also facilitated by the unity of Ukrainian society against the background of external aggression and a number of unresolved socio-economic problems on the part of the state, this especially concerned the support of the participants in hostilities and a large group of immigrants from the East of Ukraine. It is the support of internally displaced persons (IDPs), along with the provision of everything necessary for ATO participants, that has become one of the main activities of volunteer organizations. This support became especially relevant with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine in February 2022.This publication reveals the specifics of the activities of volunteer organizations supporting IDPs, which consisted in providing displaced persons with everything they need: food, clothing, hygiene products, medicines, temporary housing, as well as in providing them with legal, psychological, social support, employment, and training retraining and advanced training, at the same time, emphasis is placed on the activities of specialized volunteer and charitable organizations, among them: BF «Right to Protection», «East SOS», «Everybody can help», BF «Rehabilitation Center «Maidana Hospital», «Fund for Good Deeds», NGO «Ukrainian Association of Specialists in overcoming the consequences of psychotraumatic events».It also highlights the activities of international volunteer organizations that, after the Revolution of Dignity, actively participated in helping displaced people, providing them with both material support and comprehensive non-material assistance, including training, legal services, and psychological support. Among them, it is worth mentioning the «Red Cross Society of Ukraine», «Caritas in Ukraine», etc. At the same time, with the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine, international volunteer organizations temporarily curtailed their activities, instead, the role of the Ukrainian volunteer movement, which received all kinds of support from international charitable funds, and to some extent the state and local self-government bodies, increased.

State laws on intimate partner violence witnessed by children in the United States.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common, and almost half of all IPV takes place in relationships with children in the home. We inventoried laws in the 50 states and the District of Columbia in the United States of America (USA) focused on addressing IPV committed in the presence of children, as these laws could help prevent or remediate this critical health and social issue. Using WestLaw, a web-based legal research service, we identified over 1,200 statutes and 500 regulations. We documented the laws' key attributes and heterogeneities and coded 557 laws from 31 states. We determined that the most commonly prescribed penalty was stricter sentencing, followed by mandates to pay for counseling for any child witnesses, separate additional criminal charges, mandated receipt of counseling or intervention services, and a period of supervised parenting. Future research could assess the possible impacts of these laws on children's short- and long-term wellbeing.

The Creation of the Legal Services Ombud – How to Make It Effective

The office of the Legal Services Ombud is a new creation regulating the practice of law and the legal profession under the Legal Practice Act, 2014. The purpose of this note is to provide a discussion and analysis of the purpose and nature of the establishment of the Legal Services Ombud. The note delves into a comprehensive discussion of the meaning of “ombudsman” as a concept and the relationship this office has with the existing Legal Practice Council, whose main purpose is to regulate the conduct of legal practitioners, among other functions. The note seeks to draw a distinction between the Council’s role and the more comprehensive role of the Legal Services Ombud who must ensure that there is at all times, fairness and justice in how legal services are provided and that regulatory bodies (such as the Legal Practice Council) comply with these principles when their members render legal services to the public. The note also discusses whether the Legal Services Ombud is empowered to make binding rulings in the same manner as the Public Protector’s rulings, for instance, are seen and viewed as binding. Several conclusions are reached on this point in the note. It is argued in conclusion that positive steps must be taken to ensure that the work of the Legal Services Ombud is known, that the office is properly resourced to perform its functions in terms of the Legal Practice Act, and that sufficient clarity is provided on whether Ombud rulings are binding.

The 2016 United States Election and Financial Support to Migrant-Serving Legal-Aid Organizations

The 2016 US election of Donald Trump ushered in a wave of anti-immigrant rhetoric and federal policies that have been shown to harm immigrant families. This study examines how the election affected immigrant-serving community-based organizations (CBOs), which provide vital support to these communities and may mitigate harm. Focusing on migrant-legal CBOs — a key subset that offers pro-bono or low-cost legal services — and incorporating theories from organizations, social movements, and political opportunity, we assess whether these organizations were able to leverage the election as a focusing event to attract funding and whether they sustained this support over time. Using Internal Revenue Service records, we identify migrant-legal aid CBOs with a track record of delivering legal services to immigrant communities. Using synthetic control methods, we find that financial resources to migrant-legal CBOs increased from 4 to 11 percentage points during the 2016 election, and were 8 to 17 percentage points higher through 2019, the last year of available data. Our study shows that amid the shifting anti-immigrant policy climate of the Trump election, migrant-legal CBOs mobilized as a counterforce, using the socio-political landscape and public response as an opportunity to secure and sustain financial support, potentially acting as a safeguard against the escalating anti-immigrant climate.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Medical-Legal Partnership Services and Cases.

Medical-legal partnerships (MLPs) are innovative, promising models that integrate legal service providers and medical professionals to prevent, detect, and address legal, social, and economic needs arising from social inequities that may negatively impact health. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted health care systems across the United States. MLP workflows and legal services were also interrupted by COVID-19 infection prevention and control measures such as no-visitor policies, social distancing, and the cancellation of non-emergent or routine health care services. We sought to describe the impact of COVID-19 on legal services provided by an MLP by exploring case types and services provided prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and during the pandemic. This is an examination of MLP services provided at a Midwestern academic medical center comparing data from three years prior to the pandemic (2017-2019) to three years during the pandemic (2020-2022). The MLP is a collaboration between the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine (an academic medical center) and Legal Aid of Nebraska and Iowa Legal Aid (legal service providers). Case data was drawn from individuals who were MLP patient-clients between 2017 and 2022. The main outcome measures were the number of cases and categories and types of legal services provided by the MLP. Consistent across time, we found that on average 494 cases were closed each year. Consumer/finance cases decreased significantly from pre-COVID-19 to during the pandemic, while family cases increased significantly during the pandemic. Cases related to income maintenance increased across time. Through the COVID-19 pandemic experience and understanding the case mix, MLPs and health care champions can be better prepared to understand some of the challenges that may occur and changes that may be necessary to better serve patient-clients during a public health emergency.

Things Latinas need to plan for safety: A dual-site concept mapping study.

Latina women in the United States experience intimate partner violence (IPV) at high rates, but evidence suggests Latinas seek help for IPV at lower rates than other communities. Safety planning is an approach that provides those experiencing IPV with concrete actions to increase their safety and referrals to formal services. While safety planning is shown to reduce future incidences of violence, little is known about the safety planning priorities of Latinas. This study leveraged Group Concept Mapping, a mixed-method process consisting of brainstorming, sorting, rating, and interpreting. First, 17 Latinas who were survivors of IPV and/or professional advocates generated responses to a focal prompt. Next, 19 participants pile-sorted a list of unduplicated responses into categories. Data were analyzed using multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis and results were iteratively refined by the study team. Forty-two Latina participants in Chicago and Miami rated each item based on its necessity for safety using two scenarios: if a survivor planned to leave a partner or remain in the relationship. Bivariate correlation analyses were used to examine differences in safety planning priorities across multiple axes. Finally, results were shared with participants for feedback and contextualization. Combined, a total of 46 Latinas participated in data collection activities. Brainstorming and sorting data generated seven clusters of safety planning needs. Statistically significant differences in cluster rating were found for women who intended to leave a relationship (for whom legal services was most necessary) versus those who intended to stay (for whom safety planning services were critical) and those in Chicago versus those in Miami. This study contributes to the small, but growing, literature regarding safety planning needs of Latinas in the US and illustrates potential ways in which future safety planning interventions should be tailored to these communities.

Disruption, adaptation, and maintenance of domestic violence services during the COVID-19 pandemic

ABSTRACT COVID-19 disrupted many aspects of domestic violence services including sheltering, in-person advocacy, and access to mental health, visitation, and legal services. Increased demand for services occurred concurrent with the highest levels of pandemic disruptions. Adaptations to many systems and services were made to address survivor’s changing needs. To understand how various aspects of service provision were disrupted during the pandemic, we surveyed a national census of U.S. based domestic violence direct service agencies. Email addresses were collected from online directories and each agency received a link to complete a survey using the online platform Qualtrics. The survey included five sections: services provided; work environment during COVID-19; disruptions caused by COVID-19; personal and organizational disaster preparedness; and demographics. Twenty-two percent of 1,341 agencies responded to the survey. At the start of the pandemic, the most disrupted services were legal and court, sheltering, and mental health/counselling services. Hazard pay, flexible scheduling, and additional information technology support were most frequently mentioned supports provided to mitigate disruptions and support providers and advocates. Disruptions and supports changed over the course of the pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the provision of services and advocacy to victims and survivors of domestic violence. Adaptations were made as new control measures were available (e.g. vaccines) and lessons learned were identified (e.g. successful implementation of virtual legal and court services). Maintaining supportive measures post-pandemic will require continued investment in this chronically underfunded, yet critical, sector and applying lessons learned from COVID-19 related disruptions and adaptations.

Transparency of business-to-consumer terms on attorney fees, in contracts concerning legal counselling services

The study examines the issue of establishing the unfair nature of clauses in legal assistance contracts between a lawyer and a consumer, prefiguring the payment of lawyer fees based on an hourly rate, as this criterion was highlighted in the jurisprudence of the CJEU, especially in the judgments pronounced in case C-395/21 and in case C-335/21. The emphasis is placed on the requirement of transparency of the costs of legal advice services in relations with consumers, in the light of the recital according to which, although the adhesion clauses are unchallengeable according to article 4, 2nd para. of Directive 93/13 if these terms concern elements of the price of services or products supplied to the consumer, those contractual provisions remain included in the analysis of unfairness in situations where they have been stated by the proferens in excessively technical language or when resorting to evasive and non-transparent provisions.