CONWAY, Ark. (February 29, 2016) – Hendrix College senior Nigel Halliday ’16 recently published “Bridging the Map: The Geography of Legal Need and Aid in Arkansas” through the Arkansas Policy Program (APP).
The Arkansas Policy Program was developed by Hendrix politics professor Dr. Jay Barth with the support of the Bill and Connie Bowen Odyssey Professorship, which builds upon Barth’s ongoing public policy and public opinion research and advocacy work related to Arkansas. Through APP, students and faculty
provide nonpartisan, original analyses on key public policy issues in Arkansas through a new undergraduate think tank.
The new report examines the geographic distribution of legal aid and need to identify critically underserved areas in Arkansas. Its central conclusion is that hundreds of thousands of Arkansans – particularly low-income rural Arkansans – are currently being underserved by the civil justice system, in what is, in no
small part, a product of geography. By examining exactly where the need for legal help is, along with the current distribution of aid, this report can hopefully help legal aid providers bridge the geographic gaps that prevent thousands of Arkansans from getting access to justice.
Read the report here.
“My interest in access to justice issues stems from past internships I've done with the ACLU and the Public Protection Division of the Arkansas Attorney General's Office, which made me more conscious of the fact that though our legal system provides broad
protections for all Arkansans, often those who are most vulnerable can't take advantage of those protections because they can't hire a lawyer,” said Halliday, a politics major from Gibsonia, Pennsylvania. He is interested in attending law school to pursue a career in
public interest litigation. “While I was aware of that intellectually before those internships, the actual experience of seeing that reality firsthand made me passionate about finding ways to solve the problem.”
Halliday’s report was completed in collaboration with Hendrix alumna attorney Amy Dunn Johnson ’96, executive director of the Arkansas Access to Justice Commission.
“We’ve known for some time that shifts in population and demographics in the state are affecting access to critical services, including legal help. This study gives us insight into where the allocation of resources is likely to have the greatest impact,” said Johnson. “We are working to ensure that nobody in
Arkansas with a legal problem is excluded from justice. This project is an example of the kind of data that we need in order to develop effective, evidence-based solutions.”
“One of the key goals of the Arkansas Policy Program was to create partnerships with advocacy groups and foundations doing good work to better Arkansas,” said Dr. Jay Barth. “It was great to work with Arkansas Access to Justice on a project that shows the challenges facing many Arkansans needing an advocate in the legal
process. This matched thoroughly with Nigel’s passion in this area and he’s produced an insightful report on the mismatch in the justice process facing Arkansas.”
To receive a free PDF file of “Bridging the Map: The Geography of Legal Need and Aid in Arkansas” or learn more about APP, email
barth@hendrix.edu.
About Arkansas Access to Justice
Commission
The Arkansas Access to Justice Commission was created in 2003 by the Arkansas Supreme Court for the purpose of coordinating statewide efforts to provide equal access to civil justice for all Arkansans. Since its creation, the Commission has worked toward this goal by undertaking initiatives to expand
pro bono attorney recruitment and participation, implementing court assistance projects, facilitating changes to statutes and court rules that impact access to justice, educating the public about the need for civil legal aid, and working to increase financial resources available to provide civil legal aid to
low-income Arkansans. Learn more at
www.arkansasjustice.org.
About Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges
That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and value. For more information, visit
www.hendrix.edu.