Making the Case for Medical-Legal Partnerships: A Review of the Evidence
The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership has published three comprehensive literature reviews that offer an in-depth analysis of peer-reviewed research on medical-legal partnerships (MLPs). They capture the evolution and growing impact of MLPs across healthcare systems.
Installment 1: A Review of the Evidence from 1977 - 2012 (published in February 2013)
Installment 2: A Review of the Evidence from January 2013 – August 2020 (published in October 2020)
Installment 3: A Review of the Evidence from September 2020 through August 2024 (published in June 2025).
Each installment is included below with the newest one listed first.
A Review of the Evidence from September 2020 through August 2024
This review builds on the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership’s two previous literature reviews. It examines 74 articles and organizes the findings into three categories: descriptive articles, practice reports, and observational studies. It focuses primarily on outcomes reported in observational studies, detailing five high-level impact areas: improvements in patient health and well-being, increased housing and utility stability, enhanced access to financial supports, strengthened healthcare system and workforce capacity, and contributions to policy and regulatory reform.
Author
Michael Gallo, Research Consultant, National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership
Download the Literature Review
The National Center for Medical-Legal Partnerships tracks downloads for a small number of our resources. We do this to better understand how our resources are used and to be able to share data with our funders. Fill out the form below to get a PDF of the literature review.
A complete list of the MLP-related peer-reviewed literature included in this review can be found here: NCMLP Literature Matrix (September 2020 – August 2024) (PDF).
A Review of the Evidence from January 2013 – August 2020
This review provides an update to the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership’s initial literature review published in February 2013. It cites peer-reviewed observational studies from January 2013 – August 2020 that demonstrate medical-legal partnerships’ impact on five areas: patients’ health and wellbeing; patients’ housing and utility stability; patients’ access to financial resources; healthcare systems and the healthcare workforce; and policies, laws, and regulations to foster health and wellbeing.
Author
Caitlin Murphy, MPA-PNP, Department of Health Policy and Management, The George Washington University
Download the Literature Review
A complete list of the MLP-related peer-reviewed literature included in this review can be found here: NCMLP Literature Matrix (January 2013 – August 2020) (PDF).
A Review of the Evidence from 1977 - 2012
This white paper summarizes the salient literature on medical-legal partnership (MLP), and presents the need for legal and health services integration. It describes the essential components of the MLP approach as well as the process for delivering integrated services, and finally, explores the state of preliminary evidence of MLP impact on patients, providers, and communities at large.
Authors
Tishra Beeson, MPH, Department of Health Policy and Management, The George Washington University
Brittany Dawn McAllister, Department of Health Policy and Management, The George Washington University
Marsha Regenstein, PhD, Department of Health Policy and Management, The George Washington University
Download the Literature Review
A complete list of the MLP-related peer-reviewed literature included in this review can be found here: NCMLP Literature Matrix (1977 - 2012) (PDF).