Legal Needs Study Instruments
Montana State Bar - 040046
Abstract Number: 040046
July 2004
In 2000, Montana's Equal Justice Task Force (MEJTF) launched a comprehensive statewide legal needs study to assist in planning, coordinating, targeting, and increasing resources for the provision of legal services to low-income people in Montana. Montana developed primary and supplemental survey instruments that interviewers are using to gather information on the civil legal needs of low and moderate income people in Montana. Montana's legal needs study is modeled after Oregon and Washington's studies, interviewing persons from various "cluster groups" or specific populations such as the homeless, the disabled, the elderly, and other "cluster groups." The MEJTF seeks to interview 100 individuals from each cluster group for an approximate total of 1000 surveys from different geographical areas, reflecting the demographics of the 2000 census report.
Below, users can access the survey instrument and the supplemental instrument that are currently being used by surveyors in Montana. Interviewers initially interview each participant with the survey instrument and then use the supplemental instrument to gather additional information about each legal problem encountered by the participant in the previous 12 months at the time of the interview. These instruments are available below as PDF documents. In addition, there is also an update on the study as well as more detailed notes on the implementation and structure of the legal needs study.
The Montana legal needs study is a partnership among the Equal Justice Task Force, the State Bar of Montana, Montana Legal Services Association, the Montana Advocacy Project, the University of Montana Law School, local bar associations, as well as other partners throughout the state. To learn more, access the documents below as PDF documents.
Contact Information:
Ann Gilkey
Montana State Bar
State Bar of Montana
P.O. Box 577
Helena MT 59624
Phone: (406) 442-7660
Fax: (406) 442-7763
agilkey@montanabar.org
Additional Information:
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