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| Research |
FY2009 Economic Benefits Statement The work of MLAC-funded legal aid programs substantially boosts the Commonwealth’s economy each year by bringing in millions of federal dollars, improving the economic condition of low-income clients and other residents and saving the state millions in costly social services. New revenue and cost savings to the Commonwealth from civil legal aid in FY09 are estimated to be $73.1 million, of which $38.7 million is in the form of new federal revenues. This document summarizes some of the activities that generate this revenue and cost savings. It will be used throughout the FY2011 legislative campaign. FY2009 Economic Benefits Statement The information below summarizes data provided by MLAC-funded programs during the previous three fiscal years, providing great insight into program operations.
Opportunity Mapping Report This report, titled "The Geography of Opportunity: Building Communities of Opportunity in Massachusetts," was conducted by the Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University on behalf of Massachusetts legal aid programs. The report presents compelling maps and demographic analyses that detail racial isolation in the Commonwealth's low opportunity communities. Documenting the Justice Gap in America In 2009, the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) released Documenting the Justice Gap in America: The Current Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans, a report that concludes that at least 80 percent of the civil legal needs of low-income Americans are not being met. The report revises and updates the initial 2005 Documenting the Justice Gap report. It documents the extent to which current civil legal needs of low-income Americans are not being met, taking into account all the changes in the civil justice system in the last decade, including both LSC-funded services and non-federal resources. View the report. Massachusetts Legal Needs Survey The 2002 Massachusetts Legal Needs Survey found major increases in legal needs among low-income people, particularly in the areas of housing, health and public benefits. The survey also found a continuing shortage of legal assistance. |
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| Documenting the Justice Gap in America | |
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| Policy Implications of the Massachusetts Legal Needs Survey | |