Episodes

  • Episode 54: Will Clearing a Criminal Record Lead to Happiness (and Housing)?

    Episode 54: Will Clearing a Criminal Record Lead to Happiness (and Housing)?
    Jun 8 2026
    "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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    31 mins
  • Episode 53: Expungement Expectations vs. Reality in Employment

    Episode 53: Expungement Expectations vs. Reality in Employment
    Jun 2 2026
    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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    45 mins
  • Episode 52: Study Exposes Complex Criminal Record Clearing Process

    Episode 52: Study Exposes Complex Criminal Record Clearing Process
    May 26 2026
    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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    48 mins
  • Episode 51: How Lawyers and Rental Assistance Impact Eviction Cases

    Episode 51: How Lawyers and Rental Assistance Impact Eviction Cases
    May 19 2026
    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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    49 mins
  • Episode 50: Pro Se Litigants, AI, and the Future of Legal Assistance

    Episode 50: Pro Se Litigants, AI, and the Future of Legal Assistance
    May 12 2026
    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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    39 mins
  • Episode 49: AI and the Future of Legal Aid—Navigating Unauthorized Practice

    Episode 49: AI and the Future of Legal Aid—Navigating Unauthorized Practice
    May 4 2026
    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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    23 mins
  • Episode 48: Legal Evolution from Auto Clubs to Access Barriers

    Episode 48: Legal Evolution from Auto Clubs to Access Barriers
    Apr 27 2026
    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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    38 mins
  • Episode 48: Legal Evolution from Auto Clubs to Access Barriers

    Episode 48: Legal Evolution from Auto Clubs to Access Barriers
    Apr 27 2026
    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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    40 mins