Category Legal Aid

International Report Explores Use and Perception of AI by Legal Aid Organisations

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The Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (HiiL) conducted a survey of 56 legal aid organisations in low-, middle- and high-income countries with a view to better understanding how artificial intelligence is being used on the frontline and how it is perceived. Organisations included in the (non-representative) multi-country survey are based in Africa, Asia, Europe, South America and North America. The survey was carried out in May 2025.

According to the report, generative AI applications are being used both in the design and delivery of legal aid services, with most organisations indicating that they use some AI. Among AI programs being used, ChatGPT is the most common. The most common uses of AI by legal aid organisations responding to the survey include: search, translation, content creation and proofreading. Based on survey responses, AI is not engaged as often for direct service provision.

HiiL’s AI and Access to Justice: A Snapshot of Current Trends and Future Potential report is available in English here: https://www.hiil.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/ai_and_access_to_justice__a_snapshot_of_current_trends_and_future_potential.pdf.

Alberta Law Foundation Publishes Report on Newcomers’ Legal Needs

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A recently published report from the Alberta Law Foundation examines gaps in access to justice for newcomers and immigrants in Alberta. The report explores the practicability of a newcomer legal services fund aimed at supporting the legal needs of newcomers in the province.

The report highlights several important findings:

  • Newcomers and immigrants in Alberta face various access to justice barriers related to language and cultural misunderstandings, inconsistent service provision, complex legal systems and limited multilingual services.
  • Newcomers and immigrants in Alberta face various legal challenges, most commonly in the areas of immigration, family, housing, and employment law. Many people face additional challenges rooted in discrimination, human rights issues, and a lack of understanding of their legal rights and obligations.
  • Service providers face several obstacles to meeting the legal needs of newcomers and immigrants, including limited funding, overworked staff, and insufficient training in trauma-informed care and cultural competency.

The Legal Needs of Newcomers in Alberta: Final Report is written by Kristen Seipp. The report is available in English here: https://albertalawfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Legal-Needs-of-Newcomers-_Final-Report_Alberta-Law-Foundation.pdf.

Yukon Law Society Report Examines Access to Lawyers throughout the Yukon

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A new report by the Law Society of Yukon’s Access to Justice Committee explores access to lawyers who reside and practice in the Yukon, in people-centred practice areas. Members of the Access to Justice Committee visited 13 communities throughout the Yukon and spoke with representatives about the challenges experienced when trying to access the justice system. The Committee also reviewed national data, and local data from legal information organizations and the Yukon law courts. Information in the Access to Justice Committee’s report is further informed by three surveys administered by the Committee.

Findings from these sources suggest that people in the Yukon do not have adequate access to lawyers. In particular, there are few lawyers and legal resources available outside of Whitehorse. According to the report, “the lack of legal resources suggests inequities in accessing lawyers across communities.” The report also identifies specific challenges related to: knowing when and how to contact a lawyer, a lack of civil law lawyers, case volume and delays in circuit court, not enough legal aid coverage, and a lack of cultural awareness or integration in the community.Access to Justice in the Yukon: Access to Lawyers, a report by the Law Society of Yukon’s Access to Justice Committee is available in English here: https://lawsocietyyukon.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/A2J-Report-Access-to-Lawyers-July-5-2024.pdf.

New UK-Based Report Examines Economic Value of Free Legal Advice

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A report commissioned by the UK-based Access to Justice Foundation and the Bar Council of England and Wales presents new insights on the economic value of the free advice sector in the United Kingdom. The new report recognizes impacts of inflation, rising energy and food prices, and the cost-of-living crisis on the need for legal advice.

The main objectives of this research include:

  • Provide current estimates of the direct economic benefits of the free legal advice sector to government finances.
  • Examine the possible impacts of free legal advice on reducing costs and backlogs in the court and tribunal service.
  • Weigh the possible need for free legal advice in the longer term.

Key findings include:

  • The provision of free specialist legal advice saves the Treasury approximately £9,100 per case.
  • For every £1 spent on free specialist legal advice and its outcomes in 2023, there was a saving to government of £2.71.
  • Advice provision helps to ease pressure on courts and tribunals through improved efficiency and fewer litigants in person.
  • Despite the positive impact on government finances and positive knock-on impacts, advice providers say the free legal advice sector is at a ‘breaking point’, with funding failing to meet current demand or expected future demand.

The Value of Justice for All: Evaluating the Case for Funding the Free Specialist Legal Advice Sector report was prepared by Pragmatix Advisory. The August 2024 Value of Justice for All report is available online here: https://atjf.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/The-value-of-justice-for-all-a-report-for-the-Access-to-Justice-Foundation-and-the-Bar-Council-from-Pragmatix-Advisory.pdf.

U.S. Survey Highlights Misconceptions about Access to Civil Justice

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Recently published findings from an online survey in the U.S. reveal that more than half of adults mistakenly believe they are entitled to legal representation for civil legal matters if they cannot afford representation. Among adults ages 18-34, the figure is higher with approximately two thirds of adults in this age range believing they are entitled to legal representation for civil legal matters. The survey also indicates that approximately 59% of people who experienced a civil legal matter within the past three years did not seek help from a lawyer.

The online survey was carried out from July 11 to July 15 with 2,096 adult (18+) respondents in the U.S. The survey was commissioned by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and conducted by The Harris Poll. To learn more about the survey, visit: https://www.lsc.gov/press-release/more-half-americans-mistakenly-think-they-have-right-attorney-all-civil-cases.

UK Report Makes Case for Immigration Legal Aid Data

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Immigration Legal Aid and Value for Money: Identifying Missing Data is a newly published briefing paper examining areas where more data is needed and the types of data that are needed to understand value for money in the current immigration legal aid model. An objective of the Legal Aid, Sentencing, and Punishment of Offenders Act of 2012 (LASPO) was to reduce the costs of civil legal aid. Research suggests there is insufficient quantitative data and insufficient good quality data being collected by the government to determine the costs and benefits generated by LASPO and—specific to this research—the impacts of the reduced scope of immigration legal aid under LASPO.

The briefing paper proposes several hypotheses, including:

  • Difficulties that appellants face accessing legal representation increases costs for HM Courts and Tribunals Service (HMCTS)
  • Immigration legal aid helps people to resolve their immigration issues more quickly, which has potential direct cost benefits for health services as well as wider social benefits
  • Costs to local authorities where immigration legal aid is not available exceed the savings made by cuts to the budget for immigration legal aid

In addition, the briefing paper identifies specific types of data that are not currently being published and presents recommendations on who could collect these data.

Immigration Legal Aid and Value for Money: Identifying Missing Data is written by Siân Pearce, Dr Emma Marshall and Dr Samuel Engle. This briefing paper is supported by the University of Exeter, Migrants Organise and the Public Law Project.

The full briefing paper is available in English here: https://publiclawproject.org.uk/content/uploads/2024/07/2024HASS018-Briefing-paper-AW.pdf.