Evidence Bank

Qualitative research: Methods for understanding justice issues

Kate Davies,

Sarah E. Ratcliffe, | 2025

This Justice Methods paper explores how qualitative research helps us understand the “how” and “why” behind people’s experiences of justice. It shows how these methods reveal complex issues, amplify underrepresented...

The changing face of litigation: unrepresented litigants in the Family Court of Australia

Rosemary Hunter,

Ann Genovese,

April Chrzanowski,

Carolyn Morris, | 2002

This project examines unrepresented litigants in the Family Court including: changes that may have contributed to increases; the characteristics of unrepresented litigants and the impact they have had on the...

Family Court,

Family law,

Self representation,

Future directions for pro bono legal services in New South Wales

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2002

This research project assessed the need for greater co-ordination of pro bono services in New South Wales, and a proposal to improve the structure, organisation and delivery of pro bono...

Pro bono,

A Glossary of Survey Terminology

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2023

Legal needs surveys,

Top tips for conducting great client surveys

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2023

By the people, for the people? Community participation in law reform

Natalina Nheu,

Hugh McDonald, | 2010

This study is part of a research program undertaken by the Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales concerning the access to justice and legal needs of disadvantaged people...

Access to justice,

Disadvantage,

Law reform,

Introduction to Legal Needs Surveys

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2023

Legal needs surveys,

Survey questions to identify priority groups

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2023

Legal needs surveys,

Top tips for writing great service model case studies

Kerryn Butler, | 2023

Top tips for analysing service data

Catriona Mirrlees-Black,

Delphine Bellerose, | 2023

Data,

A guide to developing a program logic in legal assistance

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2023

Evolution to people-centred justice

Geoff Mulherin, | 2023

Legal Assistance program evaluation plan template

Catriona Mirrlees-Black,

| 2023

View report Download PDF

Immigration Advice and Rights Centre: website evaluation and needs analysis

Sarah Ellison,

Julia Perry, | 2002

This research study evaluated the Immigration Advice and Right Centre (IARC) website in relation to the needs of potenial and current users of the site.

Immigrants and refugees,

Technology,

Access to justice and legal needs. Stage 1: public consultations

Louis Schetzer,

Judith Henderson, | 2003

Summarises the responses received as a result of submissions and consultations on legal needs and barriers to access to justice.

Access to justice,

Effectiveness of public legal assistance services: a discussion paper, Justice issues paper 16

Erol Digiusto, | 2012

This paper contends that, in the context of evaluating legal assistance services, effectiveness refers to a causal link between an activity and an outcome. Accordingly, it is only through research...

Legal Aid NSW Domestic Violence Unit: process evaluation of the first nine months

Christine Coumarelos,

Suzie Forell,

Amanda Wilson,

Maria Karras, | 2018

The Legal Aid NSW DFV Strategy 2016-2018 aligns with government policies and priorities to ensure people who are affected by DFV receive high quality, client-centred and holistic services. The DVU...

Domestic Violence,

Family and domestic abuse,

Legal assistance research & evaluation,

What works? Learning from the literature, Justice issues paper 19

Maria Karras,

Suzie Forell, | 2015

A sensible first step in seeking to understand what works is to identify lessons learned from past experience and research. Yet, faced with a proliferation of articles, research, evaluation reports...

Access to and use of services,

Reshaping legal assistance services: building on the evidence base: a discussion paper

Pascoe Pleasence,

Christine Coumarelos,

Suzie Forell,

Hugh McDonald, | 2014

This report draws on more than a decade of empirical research evidence - together with current experience of service providers - to inform the design and delivery of efficient and...

Regional & Remote,

Rural,

A practical guide to writing think-pieces, discussion papers, policy briefs, and submissions

Kerryn Butler, | 2025

This Justice Methods paper offers a guide to writing think-pieces, discussion papers, policy briefs, and submissions for policy, legal, or social issues.

Conveyancing fees in a competitive market

Joanne Baker,

Law Foundation of NSW (Justice Research Centre, | 1996

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of competition on fees in conveyancing matters in small law firms in New South Wales.

Civil law,

Costs and fees,

The legal needs of older people in NSW

Sarah Ellison,

Louis Schetzer,

Joanna Mullins,

Julia Perry,

Katrina Wong, | 2004

The study looked at the particular barriers confronted by older people in accessing services to resolve legal issues, including any attitudinal barriers

Older people,

Other priority groups,

The legal information needs of older people

Susan Edwards,

Antonia Fontana, | 2004

This literature review examines the legal information needs and pathways of older Australians and the most effective ways of providing information to them.

Older people,

Other priority groups,

Email law: a planning guide for the delivery of free legal assistance via email

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2001

The guide is primarily for government and community organisations that provide free legal assistance where a client relationship has not been established. It is designed to help them consider how...

Technology,

Case management reform: a study of the Federal Court’s individual docket system

Caroline Sage,

Ted Wright,

Carolyn Morris, | 2002

This project aimed to describe the individual docket system (IDS) as it has been implemented and to identify areas of difficulty as well as possible model practices or useful ways...

Procedural reform,

On the edge of justice: the legal needs of people with a mental illness in NSW

Maria Karras,

Emily McCarron,

Abigail Gray,

Sam Ardasinski, | 2006

This study examines the legal and access to justice issues experienced by people with a mental illness. The methodology comprised a literature review, focus group discussions with key stakeholders, in-depth...

Disability,

Health and Disability,

Mental health & wellbeing,

An evaluation of the NDIS Appeals Program Legal Services report

‘I would have given up without it’: An evaluation of the NDIS Appeals Program Legal Services

Kate Davies,

Sarah Ratcliffe,

Emily Kothe,

Sandra Takchi, | 2025

An Evaluation of the NDIS Appeals Program Legal Services examines the program’s role in supporting access to justice for people with disability navigating the Administrative Review Tribunal.

Assessing Impact,

Disability,

The complexities of child protection-related legal needs: Findings from the LAW Survey

Justice Impact Tests: What are they and what is their value?

Catriona Mirrlees-Black, | 2025

Justice Impact Tests support good use of public funds, and their publication can promote public confidence in government and justice related decision making.

Taking justice into custody: the legal needs of prisoners

Anne Grunseit,

Suzie Forell,

Emily McCarron, | 2008

This report describes a study conducted by the Law and Justice Foundation of New South Wales (the Foundation) on the legal needs and access to justice of prisoners in New...

Other priority groups,

Prisoners,

Victoria Legal Aid: Information services literature scan

Sarah Randell, | 2018

The purpose of this literature scan was to locate and summarise the available research evidence on information services, with a focus on what contributes to effective legal information. Victoria Legal...

Other models of service delivery,

Legal aid for committals: an evaluation of the impact of the centralised committals scheme

Ann Eyland,

Natalina Nheu,

Ted Wright, | 2001

Legal aid for committals: an evaluation of the impact of the centralised committals scheme

Criminal law,

Procedural reform,

Access to and use of services,

Lawyer availability and population change in regional, rural and remote areas of NSW

Michael Cain,

Deborah Macourt,

Geoff Mulherin, | 2014

This research is the second of two studies undertaken by the Law and Justice Foundation into the availability of solicitors in regional, rural and remote (RRR) areas of New South...

Regional & Remote,

Rural,

Access to justice roundtable: proceedings of a workshop, July 2002

Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, | 2003

The roundtable was held by the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW and the Social Justice Project, University of NSW. It includes the papers presented, an report of discussions in...

Access to justice,

Collaboration and partnership,

Gateways to the law, an exploratory study of how non-profit agencies assist clients with legal problems

Sue Scott,

Caroline Sage, | 2001

Gateways to the Law is an in-depth exploration of how a range of non-profit agencies in New South Wales go about assisting clients with legal problems, and what issues they...

Legal Australia-Wide Survey: Legal need in Australia

Christine Coumarelos,

Deborah Macourt,

Julie People,

Hugh McDonald,

Zhigang Wei,

Reiny Iriana,

Stephanie Ramsey, | 2012

The Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) provides the first comprehensive quantitative assessment across Australia of an extensive range of legal needs on a representative sample of the population. It examines...

Legal Australia-Wide Survey: Legal need in the Northern Territory

Christine Coumarelos,

Deborah Macourt,

Julie People,

Hugh McDonald,

Zhigang Wei,

Reiny Iriana,

Stephanie Ramsey, | 2012

The Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) provides the first comprehensive quantitative assessment across Australia of an extensive range of legal needs on a representative sample of the population. It examines...

Legal Australia-Wide Survey: Legal need in the Australian Capital Territory

Christine Coumarelos,

Deborah Macourt,

Julie People,

Hugh McDonald,

Zhigang Wei,

Reiny Iriana,

Stephanie Ramsey, | 2012

The Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) provides the first comprehensive quantitative assessment across Australia of an extensive range of legal needs on a representative sample of the population. It examines...

Legal Australia-Wide Survey: Legal need in Tasmania

Christine Coumarelos,

Deborah Macourt,

Julie People,

Hugh McDonald,

Zhigang Wei,

Reiny Iriana,

Stephanie Ramsey, | 2012

The Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) provides the first comprehensive quantitative assessment across Australia of an extensive range of legal needs on a representative sample of the population. It examines...

Legal Australia-Wide Survey: Legal need in South Australia

Christine Coumarelos,

Deborah Macourt,

Julie People,

Hugh McDonald,

Zhigang Wei,

Reiny Iriana,

Stephanie Ramsey, | 2012

The Legal Australia-Wide Survey (LAW Survey) provides the first comprehensive quantitative assessment across Australia of an extensive range of legal needs on a representative sample of the population. It examines...