Brennan Center Publishes Study on Impact of Recession on the Provision of Legal Aid
The Brennan Center for Justice has recently published an analysis entitled The Impact of the Recession on the Ability of the Poor and Working Poor to Obtain Help with Pressing Civil Legal Needs.
This analysis, part of the Center's Civil Justice initiative, provides nationwide evidence of the economic downturn’s impact on the ability of vulnerable individuals to obtain legal assistance through the nation’s civil legal aid programs.
A tremendous increase in the number of people in need of civil legal aid has occurred simultaneously with a crash in the amount of funding available to finance this assistance. Though the recession began with a crisis in housing, it is no longer only foreclosure matters that are causing legal aid caseloads to skyrocket; as more and more people get laid off, see their debt come up for collection, and are forced to fall back on government benefits, they increasingly need legal assistance to navigate their way through these sometimes survival-threatening issues.
The analysis looks at several specific issues in examining the problem:
- Impact on Program Funding
- Upswing in Legal Services Intake
- Areas where Legal Needs are Rising Most
- Outdated Restrictions Hamper Response
In addtion to the full analysis, they have also publishe a one-page factsheet on the new need for legal services.