Pro Loano — A Legal Aid Solution to the Law School Debt Crisis

Lawyer-led outcomes are worth the cost.

Having lawyers advise clients is found to lead to better outcomes for clients and the legal system. In civil litigation, being represented by an attorney is predictive of clients benefiting from early procedural resolutions like motions for summary judgment.[i] This frees courts to focus on cases that cannot resolve quickly. In landlord and tenant disputes, two-thirds of low-income tenants receiving full legal representation in eviction cases stayed in their homes as compared to one-third of unrepresented tenants. Represented tenants also received almost five times the financial benefit, such as damages or cancellation of past due rent, as those without full representation.[ii]

Lawyers are a benefit not just in the courtroom, but also in the emergency room. Having lawyers advise patients through medical-legal partnerships has been found to improve patient outcomes, improved patient compliance with medical treatment, and enabled medical professionals to perform “at the top of their license.”[iii] When clinical staff detect legal issues impacting health outcomes, they can refer patients directly for legal services. Many medical-legal partnerships result in legal professionals being available for onsite legal assistance within the hospital. Legal issues like food benefits security, liveable housing, and employment safety can all result in poor health outcomes. While medical providers are often the first to notice…