Legal Representation in Eviction Court: The Effects of Legal Access on Tenant Outcomes and Experiences
Access to Counsel, Courts, Mixed Methods Research
In October 2023, Knox County government announced a partnership with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET) to increase the number of lawyers and paralegals who will offer legal counsel to income-eligible tenants at various stages of the eviction process. A team of three AJRC affiliate researchers – Stephanie Casey Pierce (Political Science), Solange Muñoz (Geography & Sustainability), and Professor Wendy A. Bach (Law) – were asked to develop and lead a rigorous evaluation of this initiative.
During the fall 2024 semester, Muñoz and 10 UT students in the AJRC lab course began preliminary research on the program, working closely with LAET and the community organization, Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (SOCM). This team of law, graduate, and undergraduate students focused on outlining the eviction court process, summarizing relevant state and local laws, and understanding the downstream economic impacts of eviction on families and communities in Knox County. In April 2025, the team produced a report with data-driven recommendations for next steps, which was shared during a press conference and with city and county officials.
Upon the receipt of an award from the Russell Sage Foundation, Pierce, Muñoz, and Bach built upon this initial work by implementing a mixed methods approach to evaluate the effects of legal representation on tenant outcomes. The quantitative portion of the evaluation will assess the effectiveness of legal representation on case outcomes, housing stability, housing quality, and client satisfaction. The qualitative portion of the study – which includes surveys and interviews with tenants, judges, and lawyers – will seek to understand how legal representation contributes to clients’ knowledge about housing rights, resources, and services and their ability to understand and access these resources and services. This practical evidence will be essential to organizations and policymakers considering whether to expand access to legal counsel in their jurisdiction and designing programs and supports that might meet the broader needs of communities experiencing housing instability. The evaluation is expected to be complete in 2027.