Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Proof Over Precedent
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Episode 7: Evaluating Online and In-Person Family Law Hearings | 28 Jul 2025 | 00:44:15 | |
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:
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 15: Pro Se Problems -- Defining and Deploying Legal Knowledge | 22 Sep 2025 | 00:20:31 | |
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" is the more significant hurdle for self-represented litigants.
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| Episode 14: Ethical Conundrums in Legal Research | 15 Sep 2025 | 00:45:35 | |
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:
Read the corresponding blog post. Speakers:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 13: Criminal Gideon, Civil Gideon, And Gender | 08 Sep 2025 | 00:15:40 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 13: Criminal Gideon, Civil Gideon, And Gender | 08 Sep 2025 | 00:15:40 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 12: Can Texts Help Secure Housing and Avoid Evictions? | 01 Sep 2025 | 00:46:31 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 11: Breaking Legal Traditions — Insights from Medicine’s Evidence-Based Evolution | 25 Aug 2025 | 00:15:53 | |
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:
Read the corresponding blog post. Resources: Speakers:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 10: What is Human Subjects Research in Law? | 18 Aug 2025 | 00:52:10 | |
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:
Read the corresponding blog post. Speakers:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 9: Cellphone Bans: Courthouse Nuisance or Necessity? | 11 Aug 2025 | 00:17:23 | |
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:
Read the corresponding blog post. Speakers:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 8: Ethics in Research — IRBs and the Common Rule Explained | 04 Aug 2025 | 00:40:21 | |
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:
Read the corresponding blog post. Speakers:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 16: Can Community Diversion Program Help Repeat Offenders Rehabilitate? | 29 Sep 2025 | 00:32:39 | |
Image by Felicia Quan, J.D. candidate, Harvard Law School
Read the corresponding blog post. Speakers:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 17: The Inaccessibility of a Financial Fresh Start | 06 Oct 2025 | 00:21:38 | |
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:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 19: How to Grow from a Global Study Setback | 20 Oct 2025 | 00:26:00 | |
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:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 18: No Money Down Bankruptcy, Part II — Navigating Possible Solutions | 13 Oct 2025 | 00:20:05 | |
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:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 20: Caught in the Web — Government Websites and Accessibility | 27 Oct 2025 | 00:14:00 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 22: Exploring Involuntary Commitment and Legal Reforms | 11 Nov 2025 | 00:22:25 | |
In this "Student Voices" episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Aarushi Solanki discusses involuntary commitment laws for psychiatric patients in Massachusetts, where the process of holding separate commitment and treatment hearings winds up denying patients access to timely treatment.
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| Episode 21: What is the Impact of Legal Counsel at First Hearings? | 03 Nov 2025 | 01:06:43 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 31: Life Without Parole—a Death Sentence in Disguise | 12 Jan 2026 | 00:18:07 | |
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.
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| Episode 30: Do Judges Actually Read Search Warrants? | 06 Jan 2026 | 01:02:53 | |
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.
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| Episode 28: Pretrial Detention Efficacy and Alternatives | 22 Dec 2025 | 00:25:27 | |
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.
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| Episode 27: The Hidden Costs of Pretrial Detention | 16 Dec 2025 | 00:25:44 | |
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?
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| Episode 26: When is Informed Consent Unnecessary? | 09 Dec 2025 | 01:03:17 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 25: Legal Labyrinths Reveal Divorce Filing Woes | 02 Dec 2025 | 00:58:28 | |
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:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 24: Till Death—or an Affordable Divorce—Do Us Part | 02 Dec 2025 | 00:46:30 | |
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:
Resources mentioned:
Stay connected with the Access to Justice Lab: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 23: Innovative Approaches to Mental Health Hearings | 18 Nov 2025 | 00:29:44 | |
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:
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: Proof Over Precedent cover art by Courtney Chrystal | |||
| Episode 64: Can AI Resolve Brazil's Judicial Backlog? | 06 Aug 2026 | 00:21:43 | |
More than 100 million pending cases await Brazil courts, so it may not be surprising that the country's Supreme Court Justice has a reportedly rosy view of AI in the court system, especially in time-sensitive civil and criminal matters. The potential for AI to help alleviate the backlog and potentially bring more balance and less bias may brush over the possible system errors and human rubber-stamping that come with it. This "Student Voices" podcast discusses Brazil's use of AI in the court system and the areas ripe for more scrutiny--evaluations through RCTs and metric-based learning models.
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| Episode 63: Texas Two-Step Bankruptcy--Corporate Restructuring or Legal Loophole? | 04 Aug 2026 | 00:28:11 | |
The Texas Two-Step is a fairly simple dance, but in the world of corporate bankruptcy, it's the name of a sophisticated maneuver that some profitable companies employ to stop mass tort liabilities and limit the settlements due to victims. It splits a company and strategically divides its assets and liabilities. In this manner, the companies win and the tort victims, by comparison, lose. But there may be reason for cautious optimism. Proof Over Precedent interviews bankruptcy scholar and law professor Melissa Jacoby about the practice, the reasons courts allow it, and the avenues under consideration for making bankruptcy a more just and exceptional option for corporations.
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| Episode 54: Will Clearing a Criminal Record Lead to Happiness (and Housing)? | 08 Jun 2026 | 00:30:51 | |
"My criminal record doesn't reflect who I am anymore."
This sentiment overwhelmingly topped the list of reasons why expungement study participants wanted to clear their record that it seemed plausible to predict that clearing one's criminal record would lead to higher levels of life satisfaction. Likewise, it did not seem far-fetched to assume individuals without a criminal record would fare better in obtaining housing than those with one. In both cases though, the A2J Lab and Kansas Legal Services found surprising results to refute these assumptions.
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| Episode 53: Expungement Expectations vs. Reality in Employment | 02 Jun 2026 | 00:45:10 | |
The A2J Lab's randomized control trial on expungement examined the uptake and obstacles of criminal record clearing while also looking into its effect on various socio-economic outcomes. This week's Proof Over Precedent episode gathers study researchers to discuss the "surprising and depressing" findings on expungement's effect on employment. They also dive into explanations for the stark difference between individuals' optimism and reality in the experiment.
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| Episode 52: Study Exposes Complex Criminal Record Clearing Process | 26 May 2026 | 00:48:16 | |
Is the form-filling expungement process as easy for unrepresented individuals as some believe? In this week's Proof Over Precedent episode, host Jim Greiner welcomes the A2J Lab team involved in our long-running Kansas-based study looking at the current record-clearing process and its obstacles. The results offer clear evidence for what it takes for a successful expungement.
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| Episode 51: How Lawyers and Rental Assistance Impact Eviction Cases | 19 May 2026 | 00:48:30 | |
Facing an eviction, a tenant has to decide if the added expense of an attorney is worth it for the possibility of avoiding an eviction judgment. In a discussion of a randomized controlled trial outside the A2J Lab, Faculty Director Jim Greiner talks with economists Aviv Caspi and Charlie Rafkin about when, why, and whether lawyers make a difference in evictions cases. The study coincided with a government emergency housing fund that expired during the RCT, which helped answer how lawyers can best make a difference as well.
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| Episode 50: Pro Se Litigants, AI, and the Future of Legal Assistance | 12 May 2026 | 00:39:23 | |
State bar associations typically file more UPL complaints than consumers. Given the intended aim of protecting consumers, UPL may actually be serving more as an obstacle and less as a protection for consumers using generative AI in the legal space. That's the argument Wake Forest Law Professor and UPL expert Ellen Murphy makes in the latest Proof Over Precedent episode, where she identifies the legal industry's progress with AI regulation by state and how AI and human counseling may combine to be the strongest access-to-justice resource.
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| Episode 49: AI and the Future of Legal Aid—Navigating Unauthorized Practice | 04 May 2026 | 00:23:16 | |
The low cost and accessibility of AI make it a potential game changer for pro se litigation and the future of affordable legal aid. But with the patchwork of state unauthorized practice of law (UPL) rules and no court resolution on AI's UPL liability, it also faces an uncertain future as a legal tool. HLS students tackle the issue in the latest Proof Over Precedent and distinguish between legal information and legal advice—a key to general-purpose AI's future in law.
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| Episode 48: Legal Evolution from Auto Clubs to Access Barriers | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:38:11 | |
When the organized bar association faced financial strain during the Depression, it cracked down on low-cost legal service providers via auto clubs like AAA, contributing to today's access-to-justice gap. In this "How did we get here?"-style episode, HLS student Andrew Reed interviews Stanford Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom and University of Chicago Fellow James Stone about their research and the "revolution" taking place in many states to reform the legal profession.
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| Episode 48: Legal Evolution from Auto Clubs to Access Barriers | 27 Apr 2026 | 00:40:01 | |
When the organized bar association faced financial strain during the Depression, it cracked down on low-cost legal service providers via auto clubs like AAA, contributing to today's access-to-justice gap. In this "How did we get here?"-style episode, HLS student Andrew Reed interviews Stanford Professor Nora Freeman Engstrom and University of Chicago Fellow James Stone about their research and the "revolution" taking place in many states to reform the legal profession.
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| Episode 47: How Does Interrogation Room Design Impact Legal Outcomes? | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:20:39 | |
How likely would you be able to answer questions under duress seated in a hard chair in a windowless, flourescent-lit box of a room? What about in a larger space with natural lighting and comfortable seating? In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Spencer Thieme discusses interrogation rooms and the effect of a physical environment on stress, memory, disclosure, and false confessions. She also considers potential randomized controlled trials for studying interrogation room design.
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| Episode 47: How Does Interrogation Room Design Impact Legal Outcomes? | 23 Apr 2026 | 00:20:39 | |
How likely would you be able to answer questions under duress seated in a hard chair in a windowless, flourescent-lit box of a room? What about in a larger space with natural lighting and comfortable seating? In this episode of Proof Over Precedent, HLS student Spencer Thieme discusses interrogation rooms and the effect of a physical environment on stress, memory, disclosure, and false confessions. She also considers potential randomized controlled trials for studying interrogation room design.
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| Episode 62: Navigating Immigration Law Post-Trump v. CASA | 27 Jul 2026 | 00:30:31 | |
Trump v. CASA did not directly address immigration and birthright citizenship when it ruled against universal injunctions, and yet...The aftermath of the ruling left the immigration law landscape in a tailspin. This week's Proof Over Precedent episode interviews Katie Taylor, Legal Director of the Neighbors Immigration Clinic (Lexington, KY), where the practice has shifted its role now that the state houses eight immigration detention centers. She provides a frontline view of the scramble that immigrants and the clinics supporting them face without nationwide relief.
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| Episode 46: Upsolve in Depth—When does Legal Explanation Become Illegal? | 20 Apr 2026 | 00:23:11 | |
The role of trained nonlawyer volunteers is at the center of a back-and-forth court case between nonprofit Upsolve, Inc. and Letitia James, attorney general of the state of New York. This "Student Voices" episode tackles both the access to justice issues at stake for indigent defendants in debt collection cases, as well as New York's unauthorized practice of law statute governing the decision(s), including the most recent ruling by the New York District Court in March. When a service akin to legal and procedural translation is measured against the practice of law itself, it leaves access to justice in an uncertain state.
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| Episode 45: Proof and Property—Is Civil Forfeiture a Just Practice? | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:22:16 | |
In this week's Proof Over Precedent episode, we look at civil forfeiture—law enforcement's seizing and relinquishing of property based on probable cause in a criminal connection—and the impact it has on individuals, including innocent third-party owners. With no guaranteed right to counsel for these cases, most individuals never challenge forfeitures; the barriers are simply too high. Limited research means the practice of civil forfeiture is ripe for a study that goes beyond its impact on potential for future crime and expands to due process.
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| Episode 44: Chief Judge Wilson's Family Court Vision—Problem Solving the Present Over Punishing the Past | 13 Apr 2026 | 00:24:01 | |
In this "Student Voices" episode, HLS J.D. candidate Matthew Hohmann interviews Hon. Rowan Wilson, Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals, about the challenges facing litigants in New York Family Court, a topic he focused on in his 2026 State of the Judiciary address. Hear about his holistic, long-range view in approaching family court cases.
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| Episode 43: Navigating Child Custody Challenges From Behind Bars | 06 Apr 2026 | 00:29:16 | |
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).
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| Episode 42: Can Financial (and Other) Support Help Reduce Child Welfare Involvement in Neglect Cases? | 30 Mar 2026 | 00:23:39 | |
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.
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| Episode 41: How Evidence-Based Research Could Transform the Child Welfare System | 23 Mar 2026 | 00:56:46 | |
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.
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| Episode 40: EmPwR Study–How Financial Support Means Family Support | 16 Mar 2026 | 00:24:27 | |
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.
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| Episode 39: On the Medical-Legal Collaboration Pioneering Child Welfare Solutions | 09 Mar 2026 | 00:55:28 | |
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.
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| Episode 38: Fair or Foul--AI in Medicine and Law | 03 Mar 2026 | 00:26:51 | |
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.
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| Episode 37: Navigating Pretrial Risk Assessments and Cash Bail Reform | 23 Feb 2026 | 00:24:31 | |
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.
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| Episode 61: The Promise and Pitfalls of Active Judging | 20 Jul 2026 | 00:20:46 | |
Pro se litigants have reason to hope for a better civil courtroom experience with active judging. If done right, this reform promises more clarity and mercy for those unfamiliar with legal procedures, and better fact-finding and balanced evidence for judges overseeing the cases. This week's Proof Over Precedent episode discusses the potential for reform, what's holding judges back from fully adopting it, and the procedural and legislative changes necessary to support both judges and pro se litigants in fairer, more efficient civil hearings.
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| Episode 36: Record Clearing Insights: How Data Can Impact Policy | 17 Feb 2026 | 00:39:36 | |
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.
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