Evaluation of a Consumer Rights Project Hotline

MFY Legal Services is one of New York City’s oldest legal aid organizations. Since 1963, they have provided free civil legal assistance on a wide range of issues and advocated to end root causes of inequality. In 2005, MFY launched the Consumer Rights Project (CRP) to provide advice and representation to low-income New Yorkers on issues such as bankruptcy, identity theft, and financial exploitation. Today, this project includes a hotline for callers to receive pro bono legal counsel from MFY attorneys. MFY engaged the services of a Capstone team to evaluate whether the hotline is an effective tool for meeting its clients' needs. The team interviewed and shadowed CRP staff, created a data-collection tool, surveyed previous hotline callers, analyzed data, and conducted industry research. The team’s final report outlined recommendations to streamline the hotline process and explored alternatives beyond the hotline to better serve the community.