Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

What Southeast Louisiana Legal Services does

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) is a private, nonprofit law firm headquartered in New Orleans that provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents across 22 parishes in southeast Louisiana. Founded in 1974 (per primary firmographics record 1967) and recognized as the largest public interest law firm in the state of Louisiana, SLLS operates seven physical offices in Baton Rouge, Covington, Gretna, Hahnville, Hammond, Houma, and New Orleans. The organization delivers direct representation, advocacy, and community legal education through ten specialized practice units and programs including the Veterans & Innovative Projects Unit (VIPU), Homeownership Preservation Unit, Disaster Title Clearing Project, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, Child in Need of Care (CINC) Unit, Housing Law Unit, Tenants Rights Unit, Consumer Law Unit, Family Law Unit, and Employment and Public Benefits Law Unit. SLLS does not develop proprietary technology products; it leverages standard legal practice management systems and online resource platforms such as Louisiana Law Help and the Legal Aid Disaster Resource Center to serve clients.

The business model is entirely grant- and donation-funded with all services provided free of charge to eligible clients. Revenue streams include funding from the Legal Services Corporation (a federally chartered nonprofit established by Congress), foundation grants (Bob Woodruff Foundation, Louisiana Bar Foundation), three regional United Way affiliates (Southeast Louisiana, St. Charles, Capital Area), and program-specific grants such as the $145,080 Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Heirs' Property Program award in March 2025. The go-to-market motion is community-led: clients are reached through on-site eviction help desks at city courts (Baton Rouge City Court, Jefferson City Court), VA Medical Center clinics in New Orleans, Slidell, and Hammond, Family Justice Center co-location, senior center outreach, a legal hotline (1-844-244-7871), online intake, and partner referrals from a network of 20+ community organizations and bar associations. Leadership includes Executive Director Laura Tuggle (since May 2014, joined SLLS 1993), Deputy Director Roxanne Newman, and Litigation Director Tracie L. Washington.

Name

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services

Legal name

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, Corp.

Website

https://slls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services is the largest public interest law firm in Louisiana, providing free civil legal aid to low-income residents across 22 parishes through seven offices and specialized units covering housing, family law, veterans' benefits, consumer protection, and disaster recovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Nonprofit legal services
• Legal representation
• Legal advocacy
• Housing legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hammond

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Corporation Funding: As a condition of funding from the Legal Services Corporation, SLLS is restricted from engaging in certain activities. The LSC is a private, nonprofit corporation established by Congress to provide legal aid to the poor.
2. Foundation and Nonprofit Grants: SLLS receives funding from foundations including the Bob Woodruff Foundation ($54,563-$90,563 salary range for veteran-focused positions), Louisiana Bar Foundation, and other grant programs such as the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas Heirs' Property Program ($145,080 awarded in 2025).
3. United Way Support: SLLS receives support from multiple United Way affiliates including United Way of Southeast Louisiana, United Way of St. Charles, and Capital Area United Way.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) provides free civil legal aid — including direct representation, advocacy, and community legal education — to low-income individuals and families across 22 parishes in southeast Louisiana. Services are organized into specialized practice units covering housing law, family law, veterans benefits, consumer protection, government benefits, disaster recovery, child welfare, and tax controversies.

Product overview

Southeast Louisiana Legal Services (SLLS) is a nonprofit law firm that operates as a single, unified legal aid platform offering free civil legal services to low-income people throughout southeast Louisiana. The organization provides direct legal representation, advocacy, and community legal education through multiple specialized units and programs, including the Veterans & Innovative Projects Unit (VIPU), Homeownership Preservation Unit, Disaster Title Clearing Project, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic, and Child in Need of Care (CINC) Unit. SLLS also operates community-based programs such as the Eviction Help Desk, Security Deposit Recovery Project, and Medical-Legal Partnership. Services span practice areas including family law, landlord-tenant issues, housing, disaster law, government benefits, bankruptcy, consumer law, employment law, and wills/successions. The organization maintains seven offices across the region to deliver these services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SLLS Civil Legal Aid

Quantifiable outcome

• SLLS has provided free legal advice and representation to abused children, disaster survivors, domestic violence survivors, low-wage workers, seniors, veterans, and other vulnerable citizens across southeast Louisiana.

Named customers1 record

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Baton Rouge Bar Association (BRBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting SLLS's legal aid mission in the Baton Rouge area through bar association programs and volunteer coordination.
• Louisiana State Bar Association (LSBA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState bar association partner supporting access to justice initiatives and pro bono volunteer programs.
• Justice and Accountability Center of Louisiana (JAC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing reentry legal services and support for justice-involved individuals in Louisiana.
• New Orleans Family Justice Center (FJC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial project partner providing services to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, with SLLS staff on-site.
• Delgado Community CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting SLLS through internship programs and community collaboration.
• Daughters of CharityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner providing services to vulnerable populations in the service area.
• Louisiana AppleseedminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner working on social justice issues in Louisiana.
• The Martinet Society of Greater Baton RougeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLegal professional organization partner supporting diversity in the legal profession and access to justice initiatives.
• Mission for Mark Cancer InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial project partner addressing the civil legal needs of cancer patients and their families through the Mission for Mark Cancer Legal Advocacy Project.
• Equal Justice WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational fellowship program partner hosting SLLS as a host site for legal fellows addressing urgent client needs.
• Equal Justice AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program providing paid opportunities for law students at SLLS to support public interest legal work.
• Loyola Social Justice FellowshipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program through Loyola University New Orleans College of Law hosting legal fellows at SLLS.
• New Orleans Bar Association Veterans Justice FellowshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program supporting legal services for veterans through the New Orleans Bar Association.
• ABA Commission on Homelessness and Poverty - John Curtain FellowshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmerican Bar Association fellowship program supporting law student placements at SLLS for homelessness and poverty-focused legal work.
• VA Medical Center ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSLLS operates medical-legal partnership (MLP) clinics at VA Medical Center locations in New Orleans, Slidell, and Hammond, providing legal services to veterans during their medical appointments.
• One Stop Homeless Services CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial project partner providing coordinated services for homeless individuals, with SLLS providing legal aid as part of the service continuum.
• On-Site Eviction DeskscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with city courts to operate eviction help desks providing same-day legal assistance to tenants, including partnerships with Baton Rouge City Court and Jefferson City Court.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Acadiana Legal Aid: Acadiana Legal Aid is a Louisiana-based LSC-funded nonprofit providing free civil legal aid in southwest Louisiana, covering family, housing, and consumer law for low-income clients in a comparable regional model to SLLS.
• New Orleans Legal Assistance Corporation: Another LSC-funded Louisiana legal aid nonprofit serving the Greater New Orleans area with free civil legal services. It is one of SLLS's closest geographic peers and competing providers within the same region.
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Atlanta Legal Aid is a regional LSC-funded legal aid nonprofit operating multiple practice areas for low-income clients across metro Atlanta, closely mirroring SLLS's multi-unit, multi-office nonprofit law firm structure.
• Texas RioGrande Legal Aid: Texas RioGrande Legal Aid is one of the largest LSC-funded legal aid programs in the U.S., serving low-income Texans with offices across a multi-parish service area. Comparable to SLLS in mission, funding model, and operational scale.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina: Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide LSC-funded legal aid program with multiple offices and practice units serving low-income residents. It shares SLLS's combination of statewide reach, specialized units, and housing/family law focus.
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance: Pine Tree Legal Assistance is Maine's largest LSC-funded legal aid provider, offering free civil legal services to low-income residents through multiple offices. Comparable to SLLS in mission, single-state regional footprint, and practice-area structure.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Society of New York: One of the largest LSC-funded legal aid organizations in the country, offering free civil legal services to low-income New Yorkers. While far larger and broader than SLLS, it shares the same legal aid nonprofit model, funder mix, and service-pillar structure.

Regional players

• Mid-South Legal Aid: Mid-South Legal Aid is a regional LSC-funded nonprofit providing civil legal aid across parts of Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi. It is comparable to SLLS as a multi-parish legal aid organization with similar practice-area breadth and disaster recovery experience.

Others

• Pro Bono Net: Pro Bono Net is a national nonprofit that supports legal aid organizations and pro bono programs with technology platforms and resource hubs (including LawHelp.org). Comparable to SLLS as a legal aid ecosystem participant, though it operates as a technology/infrastructure provider rather than direct services.
• Legal Services Corporation (LSC): LSC is the federally established nonprofit that funds SLLS and most U.S. legal aid organizations. While not a peer provider, it is a critical funder and capacity-builder shaping SLLS's program restrictions, priorities, and reporting requirements.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SLLSHelps

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors4 records

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southeast Louisiana Legal Services