Proof Over Precedent

Episode 43: Navigating Child Custody Challenges From Behind Bars

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 18:53:44 +0000

This week's "Student Voices" episode of Proof Over Precedent explores access to justice issues for incarcerated parents in the child welfare system. HLS student Mia Robertson looks at the process of removing a child from a home, working toward permanent placement and/or reunification, and the numerous barriers an incarcerated parent faces in custody cases, from an inability to show up for in-person hearings to a lack of reliable communication with an attorney (if they have counsel representation at all).

Episode 42: Can Financial (and Other) Support Help Reduce Child Welfare Involvement in Neglect Cases?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 18:21:01 +0000

This week, Proof Over Precedent speaks with Melody Webb, Founder and Executive Director of the Mother's Outreach Network, a Washington, DC-based racial justice and anti-poverty organization that the Access to Justice Lab partnered with in its Mother Up pre-pilot study. Webb shares her vision for the study—which looks at providing Black indigent mothers with guaranteed income to support their children in an effort to reduce child welfare agency involvement—and offers perspective on the preliminary findings from the pilot.

Episode 41: How Evidence-Based Research Could Transform the Child Welfare System

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 16:12:14 +0000

A2J Lab Director and Professor Jim Greiner sat down with five A2J Lab staff members to discuss "Mother Up", a DC guaranteed income pre-pilot program with Mothers Outreach Network for Black mothers with recent CFSA involvement. The privately funded program explored how feasible it would be to conduct a larger study on the subject of guaranteed income, but this episode of Proof Over Precedent looks into why the Lab got involved with the program, how we gathered and analyzed data to apply to future evidence-leading studies, and what we're seeing with results so far.

Episode 40: EmPwR Study–How Financial Support Means Family Support

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 18:15:32 +0000

The Empower Parents with Resources Study is the largest randomized control trial of the effect of unrestricted cash gifts on child maltreatment in the United States. Researchers aim to find out if a reduction in financial stress equals a reduction in child welfare involvement. In this week's Proof Over Precedent episode, HLS J.D. candidate Julia Saltzman interviews researcher William Schneider, who explains the broad impact the study may have on families, caseworkers, and child welfare policy.

Episode 39: On the Medical-Legal Collaboration Pioneering Child Welfare Solutions

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:23:34 +0000

If poverty can sometimes appear as neglect within a family, would better social and legal support help prevent unnecessary child welfare involvement? An Access to Justice Lab ongoing randomized controlled trial aims to find out. This episode gives a research partner's point of view to the trial.

Episode 38: Fair or Foul--AI in Medicine and Law

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:25:55 +0000

In this week's Proof Over Precedent episode, HLS J.D. candidate Strong Ma discusses how public perceptions of fairness influence the adoption of AI and algorithms in medicine and law, two industries with varying levels of support and trust in AI. The podcast includes interviews with HLS Professors Jim Greiner and Jon Hanson weighing in on AI's strengths and shortcomings in law, particularly as it compares to human decision making.

Episode 37: Navigating Pretrial Risk Assessments and Cash Bail Reform

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 20:00:00 +0000

Is ending cash bail a path to a fairer justice system? California attempted this route in 2018 with its SB10, which would have ended cash bail statewide and replaced it with pretrial risk assessment. The effort could potentially have avoided a two-tiered, wealth-based system, but it fell short with voters. This "Student Voices" episode of Proof Over Precedent dives into the debate over cash bail, what went wrong with the SB 10 campaign, and lessons for future bail reform efforts.

Episode 36: Record Clearing Insights: How Data Can Impact Policy

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 04:24:43 +0000

This episode of Proof Over Precedent looks at predictive modeling research that could be used alongside policy research to answer the question, "What can we do to increase the number of criminal records cleared?" Researchers examined existing data on automatic record sealing in Pennsylvania and petition-based expungements in Kansas and adjusted criteria that could contribute to more effective record clearing. In the process, they made surprising discoveries on the state and future of criminal record clearances.

Episode 35: Legal Hurdles in Expungement: A Kansas Case Study

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 10 Feb 2026 02:35:14 +0000

In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, the criminal record clearing process gets a close-up examination. Researchers and a former field partner at Kansas Legal Services discuss an expungement study in Kansas that reveals the numerous, and sometimes prohibitive and illogical, steps it takes for an individual to clear a record – a task made exponentially more difficult and less likely to succeed without the aid of legal representation.

Episode 34: Studying the Expungement Paradox

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 14:58:58 +0000

Expungement appears to have all the signs of promising policy including better job and housing outcomes for individuals whose criminal records have been cleared; low recidivism rates; and subsequently better societal outcomes. Where it falls short, researchers in a Michigan study found, is with accessibility and uptake. This episode of "Proof Over Precedent" looks at the findings and dives into the challenges of studying expungement and the areas where the record-clearing process could be improved.

Episode 33: Are Federal Regulations Protecting Prisoners or Paralyzing Research?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 27 Jan 2026 11:16:11 +0000

This episode of "Proof Over Precedent" brings together IRB Director Shannon Sewards and A2J Lab Faculty Director and podcast host Jim Greiner to talk about the complexity of ethical research involving incarcerated individuals and the balance between maintaining those ethical standards and advancing social and behavioral research. The discussion also delves into the differences between protections for biomedical research and those for behavioral research.

Episode 32: Arbitration vs. Litigation -- Who Benefits?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:34:17 +0000

When it comes to consumer protection, signing off on the fine print may equate to signing off certain legal rights and agreeing not to sue a company in court but rather to use arbitration. Does the process actually matter? Several studies find variances in consumer financial relief and win rates, along with potential incentives in mandatory arbitration that could discredit the integrity of the process. The latest "Proof Over Precedent" episode calls for new research to address the shortcomings of existing studies and to provide definitive findings on mandatory arbitration's impact on consumers.

Episode 31: Life Without Parole—a Death Sentence in Disguise

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 12 Jan 2026 20:00:00 +0000

In this "Student Voices" episode, HLS J.D. candidate Kristen Arnold looks at the procedural shortcomings of life sentences without the possibility of parole, particularly in comparison to capital punishment cases. She dives into the injustices of the LWOP procedure, the no-hope consequences for inmates and the system, and opportunity for a randomized control trial in the field to improve fairness.

Episode 30: Do Judges Actually Read Search Warrants?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 06 Jan 2026 11:58:22 +0000

Despite search warrants being a topic of significant interest in court cases and legal scholarship, the process of obtaining warrants offers comparatively little information. But when researchers found a surprising public data point in this field, their analysis led to sobering findings regarding the time judges spend reviewing warrants and the high approval rates of such warrants. In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, the researchers discuss their work, the data analysis process, and the implications of potentially insufficient judicial review of warrants.

Episode 28: Pretrial Detention Efficacy and Alternatives

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 22 Dec 2025 20:00:00 +0000

This Student Voices episode focuses on the data and studies pointing to the shortcomings of pretrial detention – the significant costs, lack of impact on reducing crime, and shortage of failure-to-appear connections. HLS JD candidate Leann Poarch instead suggests a low-cost, relatively low-tech alternative that may be more effective.

Episode 27: The Hidden Costs of Pretrial Detention

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 00:34:24 +0000

In this Student Voices episode, HLS J.D. candidate Leann Poarch discusses the significant costs of detaining individuals who await trial, such as legal fees, loss of employment, and long-term economic and psychological effects. Given that detaining individuals not yet convicted can cost local governments more than $13 billion, is it time to look into reforming the pretrial system?

Episode 26: When is Informed Consent Unnecessary?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:24:11 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, the fourth in a series on Ethics in the Law, host Jim Greiner talks again with IRB expert Shannon Sewards to discuss the complexities and criteria involved in obtaining waivers of informed consent within the realm of social science and legal research, comparing it to the regulations governing medical research. The two dive into an A2J Lab study on pretrial risk assessment tools to use as an example in determining the necessity of obtaining informed consent. When does protecting study participants take precedence, and when do critical research needs supersede those of participants?

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Shannon Sewards, Director of the Human Research Protection Program, Dartmouth Health; former Director, Harvard University Area IRB
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:

Related “Ethics in the Law” series episodes:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J

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Episode 25: Legal Labyrinths Reveal Divorce Filing Woes

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:02:25 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Why is it so hard logistically to file for divorce when legally some cases are quite simple and uncomplicated? This second divorce study episode of Proof Over Precedent dives into the data behind the hassle factors and shares the surprising results of measuring the pro se accessibility of a court system. Maybe the answer isn’t more lawyers.

Listen to Episode 24: Legal Labyrinths Reveal Divorce Filing Woes

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Roseanna Sommers, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Michigan
Tom Ferriss, data scientist, Google

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 24: Till Death—or an Affordable Divorce—Do Us Part

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 00:01:38 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

When it comes to obtaining a divorce, pro se litigants face significant obstacles, stemming primarily from financial challenges. Without a lawyer, many are ill equipped to undertake the complex paperwork, waiting periods, and logistical hurdles that come with filing for divorce. This first of two divorce study episodes of Proof Over Precedent introduces the randomized controlled trial the A2J Lab undertook to determine how effective pro bono matching services are in providing access to justice for low-income individuals.

Listen to Episode 25: Legal Labyrinths Reveal Divorce Filing Woes

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Roseanna Sommers, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Michigan
Tom Ferriss, data scientist, Google

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 23: Innovative Approaches to Mental Health Hearings

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Tue, 18 Nov 2025 07:34:48 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Rogers hearings allow Massachusetts judges to approve treatment plans for involuntarily committed individuals, but the process is criticized for its inefficiency and 99% approval rate. What if procedural reforms could improve outcomes? Replacing district court judges with administrative law judges to oversee hearings and substituting public defenders with mental health professionals as patient advocates could improve outcomes for both the involuntarily committed individuals and the courts—reducing delays, improving patient outcomes, and better utilizing court resources, according to HLS student Aarushi Solanki. She outlines the need for a randomized controlled trial to bring evidence to this proposal.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Aarushi Solanki, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Joe Liberman, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 22: Exploring Involuntary Commitment and Legal Reforms

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 20:41:28 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Aarushi Solanki discusses involuntary commitment laws for psychiatric patients in Massachusetts. Instead of protecting patient rights, the process of holding separate commitment and treatment hearings winds up denying patients access to timely treatment. A look at global leaders in procedural and substantive mental health reforms could help guide changes in Massachusetts’ legal standards and processes.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Aarushi Solanki, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Leanne Poarch, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Rachel Barkin, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 21: What is the Impact of Legal Counsel at First Hearings?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Can the presence of legal counsel at a criminal justice defendant’s first court hearing transform their journey through the justice system? Two Texas counties examined this possibility in a now-completed A2J Lab study. Director Jim Greiner hosts fellow A2J Lab researcher Renee Danser and Texas A&M researchers George Nafault and Bethany Patterson in a discussion about the project results and their potential impact on legal representation and judicial decision making going forward.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

D. James 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
Renee L. Danser, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
George Naufal, Associate Research Scientist, Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University
Bethany Patterson, Research Associate, Public Policy Research Institute, Texas A&M University

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 20: Caught in the Web — Government Websites and Accessibility

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 17:16:52 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Access to justice via government websites should mean ease of digital access to information. But what if your simple search on filing for a restraining order returned lists of forms in legalese or 37 pages of links to weed through for the appropriate form? In this Student Voices episode of Proof Over Precedent, J.D. candidate Spencer Thieme argues for simple and inexpensive upgrades to state and federal government websites to improve accessibility for the nonlawyers and non-government workers.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Spencer Thieme, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Rachel Barkin, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 19: How to Grow from a Global Study Setback

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 20 Oct 2025 17:24:37 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Early this year, the A2J Lab was expanding globally for the first time, bringing its mission to study access to justice to both Kenya and Tunisia — and just about half-way through its study — when a federal stop-work order abruptly shut down the project. In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, we have no study results to report about the project that intended to look at whether prompt access to quality representation affects legal and social outcomes for defendants in misdemeanors and petty offenses in the two African nations. Instead, the A2J Lab’s Renee Danser shares her experience working on the lab’s first global project, the intentions of the study and the progress it made through January this year, and the lessons learned from both an international project and the discontinuation of the study. Primary takeaway: remain hopeful and persistent as we continue to look for funding to restart the project.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Renee Danser, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
Michelle Blouin, Communications Associate, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 18: No Money Down Bankruptcy, Part II — Navigating Possible Solutions

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

More bankruptcy cases were filed in 2024 than all other civil cases in federal court combined – a factor that should make access to the bankruptcy filing process a priority in the U.S., HLS student Joe Liberman argues in this Student Voices podcast. Part II of this series discusses potential reforms, including changing attorney fee structures, simplifying the bankruptcy process, and making information about legal representation more accessible.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Listen to Part 1 of the podcast or read Part 1 of the blog post.

Speakers:

Joe Liberman, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Aarushi Solanki, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 17: The Inaccessibility of a Financial Fresh Start

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Is the financial reset system too difficult to navigate? In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS J.D. candidate Joe Liberman discusses the complexities and accessibility issues associated with “no-money-down” bankruptcy filings that often hurt the people who can least afford these particular filings.Closer scrutiny to legal fees associated with bankruptcy filings may help steer incentives toward the debtor rather than the attorney working with the filer.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Joe Liberman, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Andrew Reed, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Chapter 7 – Bankruptcy Basics
Chapter 13 – Bankruptcy Basics
Lamie v. United States Trustee
‘Consumer Bankruptcy and Financial Health’, National Bureau of Economic Research
‘How the Bankruptcy System is Failing Black Americans’, ProPublica
‘No Money Down’ Bankruptcy, Southern California Law Review

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 16: Can Community Diversion Program Help Repeat Offenders Rehabilitate?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

A recently launched A2J Lab study examines the effectiveness of an education and community resource-focused program at reducing recidivism among low-level offenders. The program has been in practice for seven years in Toledo, Ohio, but has not yet been studied thoroughly. In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, the A2J Lab’s Renee Danser discusses the program and the potential it has, if found to be effective, to serve as an affordable blueprint for other municipal court systems.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Renee Danser, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
Michelle Blouin, Communications Associate, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Toledo Municipal Court press release
“Study of Community Diversion Program Launches,” A2J Lab Blog

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 15: Pro Se Problems — Defining and Deploying Legal Knowledge

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 22 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS J.D. candidate Rachel Barkin discusses the challenges faced by pro se litigants in complying with civil procedure rules. While interpretation of legal language may be an obstacle, she argues that deployability–the ability to effectively use legal knowledge in court–is the more significant hurdle for self-represented litigants. She delves into the quantitative and qualitative research available for addressing the complexities of legal procedures, suggesting that a balance of both may be necessary for a complete understanding of the issues.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Rachel Barkin, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Leanne Poarch, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Aarushi Solanki, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Testing Ordinary Meaning, Harvard Law Review
Why the “Haves” Come Out Ahead: Speculations on the Limits of Legal Change, Cambridge University Press
Self-Help, Reimagine, Indiana Law Journal

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 14: Ethical Conundrums in Legal Research

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 15 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this Proof Over Precedent episode, the third show in the ‘Demystifying IRBs’ series, host Jim Greiner meets with IRB expert Shannon Sewards to answer the tricky question: Who counts as a ‘human subject’? Medical fields can easily point to human subjects in their research; but in social sciences, the definition relies heavily on federal regulations from Institutional Review Boards that require consent from human subjects to participate in research. So, legal researchers need to know about IRBs and how they define ‘human subjects’ and IRBs need to know about legal research and the role of participants in the studies. While the previous episode in the ‘Demystifying IRBs’ series addressed human subject research versus medical research, this third episode discusses:

Legal regulations that define human subjects in social science research
Ethical considerations in applying research to human subjects
Hypothetical scenarios to illustrate IRB challenges in interpreting and applying federal regulations
Risk assessments for human subjects

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Shannon Sewards, Director of the Human Research Protection Program, Dartmouth Health; former Director, Harvard University Area IRB
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:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J

Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 13: Criminal Gideon, Civil Gideon, And Gender

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

This “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent discusses the critical need for providing legal representation in civil cases—particularly those in which an individual’s home, family, or safety is at risk. While the right to counsel already extends to criminal cases in both federal and state courts, it does not currently extend to civil cases, where the socioeconomic outcomes often affect women more so than men. HLS LLM Laura Aquino asks why civil cases are not treated with the same level of importance as criminal cases and argues that expanding legal access is a matter of both fairness and justice.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Laura Alicia Aquino Arriaga, LLM, Harvard Law School
Michael Pusic, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

The Gender of Gideon, UCLA Law Review
Gideon v. Wainwright
Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare, by Dorothy Roberts (2001)

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 13: Criminal Gideon, Civil Gideon, And Gender

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 08 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Laura Alicia Aquino Arriaga, LLM, Harvard Law School
Michael Pusic, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

The Gender of Gideon, UCLA Law Review
Gideon v. Wainwright
Shattered Bonds: The Color of Child Welfare, by Dorothy Roberts (2001)

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J Lab

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Episode 12: Can Texts Help Secure Housing and Avoid Evictions?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 01 Sep 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, host Jim Greiner talks with the A2J Lab’s Renee Danser about the recently completed pilot study referred to as the “Eviction Diversion Study.” The study aimed to combat housing security by providing legal information and resources to at-risk populations in the Houston area via text messaging. Ultimately, insights gained from the pilot highlighted the need for and promise of a full-scale study on light-touch intervention as a means of avoiding evictions.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Renee L. Danser, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School
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:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J

Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 11: Breaking Legal Traditions — Insights from Medicine’s Evidence-Based Evolution

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 03:01:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Andrew Reed explores how the legal profession could benefit from adopting data-driven, evidence-based practices similar to those in medicine. The episode examines the historical transformation of medicine from tradition-based to science-based and discusses key lessons that law can learn, including:

prioritizing hard evidence over tradition
incorporating evidence-based methodologies into legal education
creating centralized databases for legal research

Read the corresponding blog post.

Resources:

Speakers:

Andrew Reed, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J

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Episode 10: What is Human Subjects Research in Law?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 18 Aug 2025 07:19:53 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this second episode in the Proof Over Precedent series on demystifying the institutional review board process in law, host Jim Greiner speaks again with IRB expert Shannon Sewards, this time to define human subjects research and differentiate it from medical research. The pair delve into:

The nuances of human subjects research in legal studies
Interpretive challenges within IRB regulations
Balancing ethical considerations with regulatory requirements
Exploring private information in research

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Shannon Sewards, Director of the Human Research Protection Program, Dartmouth Health; former Director, Harvard University Area IRB
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:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J

Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 9: Cellphone Bans: Courthouse Nuisance or Necessity?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

In this “Student Voices” episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Joe Lieberman interviews classmate Andrew Reed on the implications of courthouse cell phone bans on access to justice, particularly as it relates to self-represented litigants. Though intended to maintain courtroom order and security, the bans often create more headaches for litigants having to secure their phones outside the courthouse; furthermore, Reed suggests, it can be an impediment to access to justice with some litigants missing hearings entirely due to the bans. The discussion touches on the following topics:

Impact of cell phone bans in courtrooms
Potential alternatives to cell phone bans
Opportunity for empirical studies to research the effect of cell phone bans in courthouses

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Andrew Reed, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Joe Liberman, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

Support the A2J

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Episode 8: Ethics in Research — IRBs and the Common Rule Explained

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 04 Aug 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) watch over human subjects research to ensure ethical compliance. Ubiquitous in medical research, IRBs may still baffle those working in legal research. This week, in the first of a series of podcast talks demystifying IRBs, Proof Over Precedent host Jim Greiner talks with IRB expert Shannon Sewards about the importance of IRBs and the Common Rule in ensuring ethical research practices. Among the topics:

Understanding IRBs and the Common Rule
Historical context of medical research
Adapting medical-based regulations to legal studies

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Shannon Sewards, Director of the Human Research Protection Program, Dartmouth Health; former Director, Harvard University Area IRB
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:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 7: Evaluating Online and In-Person Family Law Hearings

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 28 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Does the medium of family law cases — online or in-person — factor into procedural justice and the satisfaction of litigants in these cases? In this episode, A2J Lab Associate Director Renee Danser talks with Jim Greiner, faculty director of the A2J Lab, about a study nearing completion, including:

What led one court system to seek an answer to this question
How the randomized control trial formed (quickly)
Measurable goals for the study
Hypotheses on the findings, due this fall
A third factor to emerge from the findings

Join us for a deep dive into this study with some takeaways both for the online vs. in-person courtroom debate and for general judicial demeanor.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Renee L. Danser, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

La Gratta Consulting
State Justice Institute
How Hearing Mediums Impact Family Law Cases, Trends in State Courts, 2024
Remote Testimonial Fact-Finding, from Part II – Legal Tech, Litigation, and the Adversarial System, 2023 report published by Cambridge University Press

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Episode 6: Online Courts Show Promise but Little National FTA Data

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000

STUDENT VOICES: The views expressed are those of the student podcasters and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Access to Justice Lab.

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Hypothetical situation (that was real for at least one person): You’re issued a traffic ticket requiring appearance in a courthouse 400 miles away from your home. Do you a) absorb the travel costs and skip work to appear in court, b) pay the ticket fine online, if possible, to avoid the hassle, c) hire a lawyer to appear for you, if possible, or d) appear in court via Zoom, if available? The best option seems obvious, but data on Zoom’s effect on court hearings and failure to appear rates are still elusive.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Kristen Arnold, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Spencer Thieme, J.D. candidate. Harvard Law School

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Episode 5: Can Simple, Affordable Ideas Improve Courts’ Costly Failure-to-Appear Rates?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 14 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Failure to appear in criminal cases can lead defendants to jail time, draining resources from police, courts, and taxpayer dollars. But according to Alissa Fishbane, managing director at ideas42, a nonprofit think tank, the solution may be cheaper and easier than expected. A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner spoke with Fishbane in this episode of Proof Over President about her research into informational gaps that may be a root cause for several court issues like failure to appear and payment of traffic tickets.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Alissa Fishbane, Managing Director, ideas42

Resources mentioned:

ideas42
What Really Prevents Court Appearance?: Survey Findings from People Who Failed to Appear in Two Counties, Crime and Justice Institute, Feb. 2025
New York City Summons Redesign, ideas42
Stamping Out Missed Court Dates, ideas42
Paying the Price: New Mexico’s Practice of Arresting and Incarcerating People for Nonpayment of Court Debt, Vera Institute of Justice

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Episode 4: Can Immigration Courts Save Time, Money, AND Noncitizen Dignity with Legal Information Programs?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 15:00:00 +0000

STUDENT VOICES: The views expressed are those of the student podcasters and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Access to Justice Lab.

Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Harvard Law School student Julia Saltzman leads a Student Voices episode of Proof Over Precedent to discuss legal information programs amid immigration court proceedings for unrepresented noncitizens. Prior evaluations support the programs from a quantitative view — they reduce detention rates and save taxpayer money. But what about evidence-based research focused on due process? Reframing the angle and the study, she argues, could produce better advocacy tools and improved access to justice.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Julia Saltzman, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Strong Ma, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR)

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Episode 3: Can Non-Lawyers Offer Relief and Expertise in Deportation Cases?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 30 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0000

STUDENT VOICES: The views expressed are those of the student podcasters and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Access to Justice Lab.

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

With a growing backlog of deportation cases, overwhelmed U.S. immigration courts are struggling to deliver due process. In this first Student Voices podcast episode of Proof Over Precedent, Harvard Law School student Michael Pusic proposes a possible solution for the 86% of immigrants detained without a lawyer: Enable non-lawyers with specialized training and experience to represent individuals facing deportation. It’s passed observational tests; now, he says, it’s time for a randomized control trial.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

Michael Pusic, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Laura Aquino, J.D. candidate. Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Catholic Charities

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Episode 2: Should AI Dole Out Legal Advice to Lawyers?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 15:10:00 +0000

Image by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

This episode looks into the OpenJustice project, a study combining access to justice and artificial intelligence. It’s just a year in development but already moving relatively quickly through its randomized control trial. A2J Lab Faculty Director Jim Greiner spoke with Mandy Mobley Li, Assistant Director of Research Innovations at the A2J Lab, about project developments and addressing the question: Will AI help improve attorney/staff conversations with clients?

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Mandy Mobley Li, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School

Episode 1: Could Holistic Legal Services Help Families Avoid the Child Welfare System?

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Mon, 16 Jun 2025 22:46:00 +0000

This episode offers a mid-study update on a decades-long randomized control trial, unofficially referred to as the “Child Welfare” project. Proof Over Precedent host and Access to Justice Lab Director Jim Greiner interviews Project Director Renee Danser about the study, which evaluates whether families with children who face poverty-related legal and social challenges can avoid unnecessary entries into the child welfare system with the assistance of holistic legal services – a combination of social worker services and a traditional attorney-client relationship. Listen now.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Renee L. Danser, Associate Director of Research and Strategic Partnerships, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal

Episode 0: Get to Know Us Again

Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School — Wed, 11 Jun 2025 06:55:42 +0000

This episode introduces listeners to the Proof Over Precedent podcast and the work of the Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School. The lab focuses on bringing empirical research into the legal field for both civil and criminal justice systems. Professor Jim Greiner shares plans for future episodes to address randomized control trials conducted by the lab and its research partners; ethical issues around RCT trials; challenges of the legal system as it currently operates; the future of legal reform, including AI in legal processes; and student takes on access to justice.

Read the corresponding blog post.

Speakers:

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
Michelle Blouin, Communications Associate, Access to Justice Lab at Harvard Law School

Resources mentioned:

Share feedback and relevant topics you would like the A2J Lab to discuss: a2jlab@law.harvard.edu

Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab:

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Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal