Conducting a community needs assessment: a student-client approach to clinic research

Abstract

This paper will discuss how to create a research team and conduct a community needs assessment. The focus will be primarily on the process of conducting such research. The process is adaptable to either an international team of academics, professionals and students or it can be conducted by a clinic in its community without outside collaboration. Results of the research will be discussed on a minimal basis.

The goals of a law school legal aid clinic should include at least two things. One is to improve the education of students. The other is to provide access to justice for members of the community. These goals may be met in many ways and through many different projects. Forming a research team of academics, professionals and law students to study a legal issue, develop a survey and find out what the community needs are in terms of legal assistance provides many excellent learning tools for students.

Students develop research and writing skills over the course of a research project that includes conducting a literature review, interviewing skills when they survey the community, best practices in being client/community centered and presentation skills if they present their results at a conference as was the case in the study to be discussed here. We often think we know what is needed in our community, or by our client, from our experience; but best practices and professional responsibility point toward finding out what the community or client wants in order to serve their legal needs.