Talk Justice An LSC Podcast

Legal aid staff in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina discuss their wide-ranging hurricane response efforts on Talk Justice. In the wake of devastating hurricanes in the southeast, legal aid organizations are mobilizing to provide emergency assistance and recovery services. The legal aid providers stress the importance of legal services becoming engrained in the disaster response ecosystem so that other recovery organizations know to refer people to legal aid, and legal aid knows where to refer clients with non-legal issues.

Experts discuss the professionalization of pro bono legal services on Talk Justice. Pro bono work is often thought of as a side project that lawyers perform, but legal aid organizations that can rely on full-time staff have increased opportunities to expand services and provide more intensive client service through pro bono. A growing number of people and firms are making pro bono their full-time occupations and bringing professionalism to this area of legal practice. 

Legal aid directors from Minnesota and Arkansas discuss their multi-faceted efforts to attract and retain high-quality attorneys and other staff on Talk Justice. It’s no secret that legal aid does not lead to the highest potential salaries in the profession. While legal aid has much to offer in terms of opportunities for high-impact, rewarding work, program directors must be creative to attract and retain staff with their limited resources.

Legal experts discuss their research into civil legal services and initiatives for addressing the access to justice crisis. Stanford’s Rhode Center is partnering with the Legal Design Lab and the Superior Court of Los Angeles County to collaboratively research, design and implement innovative, evidence-based approaches to improve access to justice for court users. Also, a look into the history of auto clubs shows how UPL has evolved.

Dean Andrew Perlman of Suffolk Law School joins host Cat Moon for a discussion of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and legal ethics on Talk Justice. Perlman authored an article in February of this year, “The Legal Ethics of Generative AI,” which describes how lawyers can use generative AI while satisfying their ethical obligations.

An attorney who has provided civil legal services to people experiencing homelessness shares her perspective on Talk Justice. Carolyn Perez is passionate about correcting common misconceptions around homelessness, saying those we see on the street are only “the tip of the iceberg,” and many families who are homeless are invisible. Perez also describes how legal problems like medical debt, domestic violence and natural disaster recovery contribute to the loss of housing.

Experts discuss the findings from a new survey on Americans’ knowledge of civil legal issues on Talk Justice. The recent survey of more than 2,000 Americans was conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of LSC. It revealed widespread misconceptions about civil legal rights, and that many people do not reach out for help with their civil legal problems.

Guests from Kansas and Tennessee discuss the growth of medical debt lawsuits, their impact on patients, and efforts to mitigate these suits on Talk Justice. The Wall Street Journal recently reported on this issue in Kansas in an article, “In This Kansas Courtroom, the Hospital Dominates the Docket.” A hospital sued 400 of the 9,000 people living in Pratt County over a period of less than a year. Meanwhile, a Tennessee pilot program gives patients a better option through online dispute resolution.

Legal aid leaders from Florida and Illinois reflect on four years of remote court and consider the benefits and limits of virtual appearances, as well as the inconsistent policies surrounding them on Talk Justice.

United States Senator Ben Cardin joins LSC President Ron Flagg to discuss his perspective on access to justice as a legislator and lawyer on Talk Justice. The Maryland Senator shared about his time in the state’s general assembly chairing Maryland Legal Services Corporation, as well as the “Cardin Requirement” at the University of Maryland’s Francis King Carey School of Law and his thoughts on the justice gap.