Understand better justice

Data and empirical evidence to help understand access to justice and build a better justice system.

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Research to understand legal need and capability

Our research focuses on the legal and related needs of Victorians, and over time, will make a significant contribution to the Victorian justice system.

Our Research Principles

Impact

We undertake useful research to support improved civil legal services for Victorians.

Rigour

We use sound methodologies and rely on clear evidence for any conclusions.

Collaboration

We work in a collaborative way with the legal sector, civil society and others in the interests of access to justice for Victorians.

Communication

We make our reports publicly available and engage with the sector on research activity.

Independence

We maintain our independence.

Our research plan

Our research program is divided into four streams, which will each produce complementary outcomes.

Mapping justice

We will map the availability and content of institutional data across a broad range of civil justice bodies, including courts, tribunals and the legal assistance sector, so that we can understand how legal matters progress, see possible issues with legal processes and identify barriers to access to justice.

Surveying legal literacy

We will conduct a Victoria-wide Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS) to discover what Victorians know about their justice system, its institutions and the role they see it play in their lives.

Researching programs and interventions

We will take a rigorous empirical approach to evaluate the need for different legal services, as well as their processes, impacts and outcomes, so that we can figure out 'what works.'

Coordinating and sharing research

We will build a network connecting the justice, community and academic sectors to enable knowledge sharing, encourage collaboration, extend the reach of our work and help us to learn from the experience of local and international experts.

Research projects

Our projects cover institutional and general public perspectives.

PULS logo on a gradient background

The PULS is a Victoria-wide survey to understand how people see, understand and engage with the law.

Mapping institutional data across a broad range of civil justice bodies.

A survey of the community legal centre workforce across Victoria.

Showcasing access to justice and legal need development

Connecting the justice, community and academic sectors around legal research and evaluation related to access to justice.

Research publications

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Pricing Practice: Exploring Costs in Victorian Legal Services
Research Report
September 15, 2023
Legal profession
Financial
Research Report

Examining the factors that influence the pricing of legal services, how practitioners communicate costs, and how they affect the lawyer-client relationship.

Everyday Problems and Legal Need: PULS Volume 1
The Public Understanding of Law Survey
Research Report
August 30, 2023
Legal need
Legal capability
Research Report

This first volume updates the broad picture of access to justice and legal need, explores how justiciable problems are experienced, what people do about them, and how they progress and conclude.

Data mapping project: Calibrating Justice
Mapping Justice
Research Report
August 8, 2023
Administrative data
Research Report

Examining the use and utility of administrative data in Victoria’s civil justice system.

PULS Technical Report
The Public Understanding of Law Survey
Research Report
July 1, 2023
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Research Report

This report is intended to act as a detailed record of the methodological approach used in delivering the PULS survey.

Data mapping project: Mixed Bunch
Mapping Justice
Research Report
December 10, 2022
Administrative data
Research Report

Examining the use and utility of administrative data in dispute and complaint resolution bodies in Victoria.

Working in Community Legal Centres in Victoria: Building and maintaining a sustainable workforce
Community Legal Centres Workforce Project
Research Report
December 5, 2022
Legal profession
Legal assistance
Research Report

Building and sustaining the community legal centre workforce.

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Meet the Research Team

Victoria Law Foundation's highly-skilled research team have many years of experience in legal research.

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Nigel J. Balmer
Research Director

Nigel joined the VLF in December 2018 as its inaugural Research Director. He has been conducting empirical research for over twenty years and is expert in the application of social science and modern quantitative methods to explore how the public understand and interact with the law.

Nigel’s research includes work on the role of law in everyday life; attitudes to justice; public experience of and response to legal issues; the interaction between legal and health problems; and design of legal services and legal aid. He is best known for his work on legal need surveys around the world, including recent guidance supporting global access to justice initiatives under the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 16. Nigel is also Professor of Law and Social Statistics at University College London.

Hugh M. McDonald
Principal Researcher

Hugh joined the Foundation in September 2019 as Principal Researcher. He previously worked at the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, on several landmark access to justice and legal need projects.

Throughout his career, he has worked closely with legal aid commissions, community legal centres, state and federal governments, giving him a deep understanding of legal institutions and access to justice issues throughout Australia.

Bridget McAloon
Senior Researcher

Bridget joined the Victoria Law Foundation in June 2023 as a Senior Researcher. With over 20 years of experience in monitoring, assessment and project management, Bridget is an evaluation specialist. She holds a Master of Public Health from Monash University, and is skilled in quantitative and qualitative measurement and analysis, and building evaluation capacity and systems.

With a background working in international and community not-for-profits, Bridget has led evaluation and research over the last 8 years at Victoria Legal Aid, driving evidence-based practice to underpin the design and delivery of effective, client-centred legal services.

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Discover how people understand and engage with the law

The Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS) is ground-breaking research to understand legal capability, attitudes, and experience of the law in Victoria.