CAREER: Equitable Access to Justice: Determinants of Engagement with the Civil Justice System

美国司法系统面临着一个严重的危机，称为民事司法差距。不仅需要民事法律的援助的人多于能够获得这种援助的人，而且有证据表明，许多需要法律的援助的人不寻求帮助。虽然人们对民事司法差距存在的原因知之甚少，但现有研究表明，法律的援助的障碍是复杂和多方面的。随着社会努力缩小民事司法差距，越来越需要了解（1）公众对法律的制度和民事司法问题的看法，以及（2）人们何时，为什么以及如何寻求法律的援助或自行解决民事司法问题。这项研究提供了一个微妙的理解这些目标，特别是考虑到群体差异，在公众的看法和法律的援助的寻求。特别值得关注的是那些法律的制度在历史上服务不足的人，如有色人种和低收入家庭的人。通过本研究提供的实证基础是必不可少的发展急需的模式，民事司法援助寻求行为。通过综合研究、教育和推广活动，该职业项目实现了几个目标：（1）绘制社区成员对法律的系统、民事司法问题和法律的自我效能的看法，以检查这些看法中的群体差异;（2）确定在民事司法问题和在法律的系统之外成功解决问题时寻求法律的援助的预测因素;（3）利用参与性行动研究方法，制定、实施和传播基于社区的司法救助方案;（4）开发体验式学习机会，使学生能够在具有文化能力和文化谦逊的不同社区工作。前两个目标集中在一个多部分的实地研究，包括一个大规模的，全国性的社区调查，以评估社区成员的看法和纵向多方法研究检查民事司法问题和解决途径。该项目还与当地社区合作，制定一项方案，旨在解决与民事司法问题有关的当地需求，包括制作材料在全国范围内传播。该项目的研究结果为民事司法决策模型提供了实证基础，这些模型为诉诸司法领域的理论发展提供了信息，并为设计有效举措以缩小民事司法差距提供了所需的证据。该项目由法律和科学以及激励竞争研究的既定计划（EPSCoR）共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The United States justice system faces a serious crisis known as the civil justice gap. Not only do more people need civil legal assistance than are able to obtain it but also evidence indicates that many people who need legal assistance do not seek help. Although little is known about why the civil justice gap exists, available research suggests that the barriers to legal assistance are complex and multi-faceted. As society grapples with reducing the civil justice gap, there is a growing need to understand (1) public perceptions of the legal system and civil justice problems and (2) when, why, and how people seek legal assistance or resolve civil justice problems on their own. This research offers a nuanced understanding of these aims that specifically considers group differences in public perceptions and legal assistance seeking. Of special concern are people whom the legal system has historically underserved, such as people of color and those in low-income households. The empirical foundation provided through this research is essential for developing much needed models of civil justice assistance-seeking behavior. Through integrated research, education, and outreach activities, this CAREER project addresses several objectives: (1) map community members’ perceptions of the legal system, civil justice problems, and legal self-efficacy to examine group differences in these perceptions; (2) identify predictors of legal assistance seeking for civil justice problems and successful problem-solving outside of the legal system; (3) develop, implement, and disseminate a community-based access-to-justice program using participatory action research methods; and (4) develop experiential learning opportunities that prepare students to work in diverse communities with cultural competence and cultural humility. The first two objectives center on a multi-part field study, including a large-scale, national community survey to assess community members’ perceptions and a longitudinal multi-method study examining civil justice problems and resolution pathways. The project also engages local communities collaboratively to develop a program aimed at addressing local needs related to civil justice problems, including the production of materials for nation-wide dissemination. Findings from this project provide an empirical foundation for models of civil justice decision-making that inform theory development in the field of access to justice and provide evidence needed to design effective initiatives to reduce the civil justice gap. This project is jointly funded by Law and Science and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.