Access to Justice Poverty Simulation

In This Section

Additional Resources

Income and Poverty

In 2023, in the United States there were 36.8 million people living in poverty. The official poverty rate was 11.1%, and the median household income was $77,719. Poverty in the United States: 2023.

In 2024, the New York State Population was 19,994,379. The New York State poverty rate was 13.6% and the number of children (under 18) living in poverty was 18.1% (734,756). Executive Summary Poverty Report 2024.

Description

Poverty in the United States: 2023, Current Population Reports.

The Poverty Simulation is an immersive experience that provides exposure to decisions people experiencing poverty make in their daily lives. Law firms, state bar associations, policy makers, educators, students and community leaders throughout the country utilize this simulation experience. The Access to Justice Division has facilitated poverty simulations for judges and non-judicial staff as well as law students, and legal educators in New York State. The simulation aims to increase empathy and awareness for challenges people experiencing poverty struggle with. The immersive experience lasts about three hours. This time frame includes an introduction and briefing by the facilitator, the simulation exercise, and a guided debriefing in which participants and volunteers share their observations and insights from the activity.

For more information about the Poverty Simulation, email [email protected].

Past Events

July 2025: NYS Judicial Institute 2025 Judicial Summer Seminars

June 2025: NYS Judicial Institute 2025 Judicial Summer Seminars

September 2024: 8th Judicial District County Court Judge Annual Meeting

October 2023: 7th Judicial District Fall Festival

August 2023: Touro School of Law

January 2023: Suffolk County Family Court

March 2019: Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law

On March 6, 2019, the Office for Justice Initiatives facilitated a Poverty Simulation at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Participants included law students from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Fordham University School of Law, the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University, New York Law School as well as the Associate Dean for Pro Bono and Public Interest at Rutgers Law School, the Senior Director of Public Service and Pro Bono Initiatives at New York Law School, and a faculty member from New York Law School and non-judicial NYS Court personnel. In addition, administrators and faculty from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, staffed community organizations that the participants interacted with.

The Poverty Simulation is designed to provide participants with the experience of living in poverty for one month. The month is broken down into four fifteen-minute long weeks. Each week participants were tasked with making decisions to support and care for themselves and their families. Upon arrival, participants were assigned roles within family units. Families were provided with a packet that included instructions for the simulation, a description of each family member, the family’s financial situation, and a breakdown of responsibilities and bills that needed to be paid over the course of the “month” long simulation. Participants were exposed to the difficult choices that people living in poverty make every day. At the conclusion, of the simulation, participants and volunteers gathered to debrief. Below is a sampling of comments from those who participated in the Poverty Simulation.

April 2018: Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University

On April 4, 2018, the Office for Justice Initiatives facilitated a Poverty Simulation for students enrolled in the Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University. The Poverty Simulation is designed to provide participants with the experience of living in poverty for one month. Each month is lived in fifteen-minute increments, during which the participants are tasked with making decisions to support and care for themselves and their families.

The students were assigned roles within family units. The family units reflected family compositions seen throughout the country. Families were comprised of married and unmarried couples with and without children, families with grandparents living in the household and single people living on their own. English and non-English speaking families were represented, as well as people who identify as LGBTQIA, and undocumented people. Maurice A. Deane School of Law at Hofstra University faculty and staff volunteered to play the role of various governmental agencies, community organizations, and private companies typically found in communities.

At the beginning of the simulation each participant was provided with an identity that linked them to a household. At their “home” they had the opportunity to meet their family members and were provided with a packet that included a description of each family member, a description of the family’s situation, and a breakdown of responsibilities and bills that needed to be paid over the course of the simulated “one-month.” The students collaborated with one another and often found themselves making the same difficult choices that people living in poverty make every day. At the conclusion, of the simulation, student participants, volunteer faculty and staff, gathered to debrief. Below is a sampling of comments from those who participated in the Poverty Simulation.

November 2016: Touro Law Center

On November 15, 2016, the NYS Courts Access to Justice Program conducted a Poverty Simulation training for the entire first year class enrolled in the full time program at Touro Law Center. Each student was assigned a role in a particular “family.” Families ranged in size from one to five members. Volunteer faculty, second and third year law students played the roles of different governmental agencies, community organizations and private companies. The goal of the simulation was for the future lawyers to rethink poverty. Each family was given a packet that included a description of each family member, a synopsis of the family’s situation as well as the family’s financial obligations for the month. The students were forced to strategize and make the difficult choices that folks living in poverty make every day. The more exposure and training that future lawyers receive allowing them to recognize and understand the harsh realities that New Yorkers in poverty face, the better they will be able to understand how poverty limits the interaction that many people have with the court system and in effect creates a more equitable justice system. Although there is no way to replicate every aspect and hardship that people living in poverty struggle with, the training provided future lawyers with a glimpse into some of the struggles faced. Following the poverty simulation, a debriefing was held during which the law students and volunteers revealed what they learned from the training.

October 2015: New York City Civil and Housing Court Judges Training

In 2015 Access to Justice conducted a poverty simulation training for New York City Housing and Civil Court Judges and the entire first year class of Touro Law Center. A Poverty Simulation is a half day training that places participants into groups of one to five, with each group representing an impoverished family. Participants are assigned a fictitious identity, family, and financial situation then forced to work together to simulate a one month period living in poverty. They live four 15 minute simulated weeks during which they have to do all the things families normally do on a regular basis - go to school or work, pay bills, grocery shop, take care of emergencies, and so forth - essentially live life with the resources of those living at the poverty level.

Access to Justice conducts Poverty Simulations for court system personnel and law students to educate and sensitize the legal community about how economic privilege affects the justice system and to encourage the provision of services in a more respectful and understanding manner. Poverty Simulations also improve coordination, team building, and innovative thinking of its participants. Over the two days 60 New York City Civil and Housing Court Judges and a total of 140 law students were trained during the two half day sessions. Touro Law Center professors, 2L and 3L students, and some of the Judges, played the roles of community groups and office staff and interacted with the “families.” As one 1L student stated "The experience of treatment by the various community members (bank, work, social services), and experiencing how poorly they treated the individuals who went to them for assistance. This illustrated to me how difficult it is to obtain various services and how discriminated against people of low-financial means are.”

September 2014: Touro Law Center

In 2014, the Access to Justice Program conducted a Poverty Simulation training for the entire first year law class of Touro Law Center. The first year class was divided into two sections for two half day trainings. Each section was then subdivided even further into groups of 1 to 5 students, with each group representing an impoverished family. The roles of different governmental and community organizations that these “families” interacted with were played by faculty and second and third year law students. The three and a half hour simulation exposed the students to the effects that poverty can have on an individual’s life. Training future lawyers to understand and recognize the dire straits that impoverished New Yorkers live in and how these limitations affect their interaction with the courts, the more equitable the justice system becomes. Although the poverty simulation is only a glimpse into the real hardships that families in poverty endure, many of the law students and volunteers felt as though the training was transformative.

February 2013: Queens County Criminal Court Training

In February the Queens County Criminal Court's interpreters, judges, court analysts, clerks, and court attorneys participated in the fifth New York State Courts Access to Justice Program Poverty Simulation. The event took place in Queens Supreme Criminal Court's gorgeous hallway annex, which Supreme Court generously loaned for the occasion. These trainings give court personnel opportunities to work together in new ways by encouraging them to think outside the box. Divided up into family units, participants must complete tasks with limited resources based on national poverty levels. Each unit is composed randomly, therefore employees may be placed with someone they have never met or seen before. As with all Poverty Simulations, some employees approached the event with trepidation, however by the end of each day smiles abounded. It is hoped that granting staff an opportunity to interact in new ways will foster team building and create a more efficient and compassionate court community.

June 2012: New York County and Richmond County Criminal Court Training

On June 15th and June 22nd, the New York State Courts Access to Justice Program hosted its 4th Poverty Simulation for the Unified Court System. New York County and Richmond County Criminal Court staff participated in the simulation while volunteers from data entry, other courts, summer interns, and local law schools facilitated.

As with previous simulations, Criminal Court employees were divided up into "families" where they were asked do all the things families normally do on a regular basis such as pay bills, go to work, visit the bank, etc. The major distinction was that the resources they were given were based on the national poverty level.

Since court employees come from a myriad of economic, social, and religious backgrounds, each participant was able to bring something unique to the event. The diversity within the Unified Court System community contributed to a thoughtful and meaningful event. In addition, by the end of each session most participants seemed to enjoy not only the event, but the chance to interact with their coworkers in a new way.

December 2011: Kings County Criminal Court Training

In December 2011, over the course of two days and with the assistance of 50 volunteers, 90 Kings County Criminal Court attorneys, clerks, interpreters, and judges participated in the “Poverty Simulation” training program conducted by the NYS Courts Access to Justice Program. The goal of this training was to increase cooperation and team building while encouraging dialogue about the perception and treatment of people living in poverty.

During the simulation, participants were assigned roles as members in low or no income families. They then were asked to live four 15 minute simulated weeks during which they had to do all the things families normally do on a regular basis -- go to school or work, pay bills, grocery shop take care of emergencies, and so forth – essentially live life with the resources of those living at the poverty level. They do this by interacting with the various agencies, officials and retailers found in the community – the grocer, banker, teacher, policeman, etc. The different governmental agencies and community group roles were played by volunteers from organizations, various partners including Brooklyn Law School, the Center for Court Innovation, CUNY School of Law, Guardian Ad Litem Program, Hunter School of Social Work, RAP Program, VLFD Program, and Volunteer Lawyers Program, as well as current and retired court personnel.

The NYS Courts Access to Justice Program modified the simulation specifically for NYC Criminal Courts by creating a booking officer role and a central intake clerk role to simulate the experience of the people entering the Criminal Court. To work in tandem with these two new positions, an arraignment clerk role was also developed, which expanded the role of the judge and court. By redesigning the program for Criminal Court, the training was able to simulate the real life experiences that court employees have at work, further sensitizing them to the issues of those surviving on low incomes.