Indiana Legal Services

What Indiana Legal Services does

Indiana Legal Services (ILS) is a nonprofit civil legal-aid organization founded in 1966 that provides free legal assistance to income-eligible Indiana residents. Services are delivered free of charge to clients at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (extended to 200% in defined circumstances) across all 92 Indiana counties through eight regional offices and an online intake portal hosted on the LegalServer case-management platform. ILS fields approximately 100 attorneys supported by additional program and administrative staff, organized into specialized practice units including the Indiana Justice Project (ILRC), Legal Aid for Victims of Abuse (LAVA), the LGBTQ+ Project, the Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic (LITC), the Money in Motion (MAP), the Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP), the Senior Law Project, and the Working to Restore Advocacy & Purpose Project (WRAPP) for reentry populations. Substance-use-disorder representation has been expanded in Lafayette and Fort Wayne, and a 2025 Indiana Heirs' Property Initiative addresses real-property issues for low-income heirs.

The organization's business model is grant-funded rather than fee-for-service. Revenue is composed of federal funding from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), appropriations from the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, foundation grants (notably a $7.5 million Lilly Endowment sustainability grant in June 2024 — the largest in ILS history), the Indiana Bar Foundation, the Veterans Administration, the Federal Home Loan Bank, and various state agencies. ILS functions under a statewide-franchise structure: as the principal LSC-designated provider for Indiana, it holds a quasi-exclusive position in publicly funded civil legal aid, with diversified grant inflows replacing traditional customer-payer concentration. 2024–2026 also saw an open CEO executive search, a partnership with United Way to deliver a Free Community Tax Service (January 2026), and the addition of the Heirs' Property Initiative, indicating active programmatic scaling anchored in diversified public and philanthropic funding.

Go-to-market is non-commercial in the traditional sense: ILS acquires clients through statewide regional offices, online intake, court and social-service referrals, embedded healthcare partnerships (MLP), and reentry-program touchpoints. Pricing for end users is zero (means-tested free service); the economic model is sustained by multi-source grant revenue, with the newly established Lilly-endowed reserve intended to stabilize operations against grant-cycle volatility.

Name

Indiana Legal Services

Legal name

Indiana Legal Services, Inc.

Website

https://indianalegalservices.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Indiana Legal Services is a nonprofit civil legal-aid organization founded in 1966 that provides free legal representation to income-eligible Indiana residents across all 92 counties through eight regional offices and specialized practice programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Government Grants: ILS receives funding from multiple sources including Congress, Lilly Endowment ($7.5M sustainability grant), Indiana Bar Foundation, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, Veterans Administration, and other state agencies. Services are provided free to eligible clients at no cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Indiana Legal Services (ILS) is a nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income Indiana residents across all 92 counties. Services span family law, housing/eviction, consumer law, criminal record expungement, public benefits, healthcare access, immigration, tax, veterans' issues, and human trafficking-related cases, delivered through specialized projects (ILRC, LAVA, LGBTQ+ Project, LITC, MAP, MLP, Senior Law Project, WRAPP). Clients access services via eight regional offices, a 24/7 online intake portal (LegalServer), phone intake, and healthcare partner referrals.

Product overview

Indiana Legal Services is a nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income Indiana residents across all 92 counties. The organization operates as a unified legal services provider organized into multiple specialized projects and programs, including ILRC (Immigrants' and Language Rights Center), LAVA (Legal Assistance for Victimized Adults), LGBTQ+ Project, LITC (Low Income Taxpayer Clinic), MAP (Military Assistance Project), MLP (Medical-Legal Partnership), Senior Law Project, and WRAPP (Worker Rights and Protection Project). Services are accessible through online intake applications (via LegalServer), phone intake, and in-person assistance at eight regional offices statewide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Civil Legal Assistance Comprehensive free civil legal representation and advice for eligible low-income Indiana residents across family law, housing/evictions, consumer law, criminal record expungement, public benefits, healthcare access, government benefits, and other civil matters. Eligibility: income ≤125% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (200% in certain cases) and assets under $10,000 excluding primary residence and vehicle.
• ILRC — Immigrants' and Language Rights Center Statewide center providing direct legal representation on qualifying immigration matters (U/T visas, VAWA petitions, naturalization, asylum, removal defense, family-based immigration) and language access cases to vulnerable immigrant and limited English proficient populations in Indiana.
• LAVA — Legal Assistance for Victimized Adults Project Provides free civil legal services to Indiana seniors (60+) and endangered adults (18+ with disabilities limiting self-care) who are victims of crime including abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation. Cases address power of attorney abuse, domestic violence, unwanted housemates, theft, consumer fraud, and guardianship matters. No income or asset limits apply.
• LGBTQ+ Project Provides free legal advice, information, representation, and referrals to LGBTQ+ people throughout Indiana on name and gender marker changes, identity documents, insurance coverage for gender-affirming care, discrimination, and student rights. Services free regardless of income.
• LITC — Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Helps Indiana residents with tax problems with the IRS and Indiana Department of Revenue — representing and advocating for taxpayers in audits, Tax Court representation, offers in compromise, and payment plans. Eligibility: income at or below 250% of Federal Poverty Guidelines.
• MAP — Military Assistance Project Statewide project providing free civil legal advice and direct representation to eligible low-income Hoosier military members, veterans, and their dependents. Cases include eviction avoidance, military record access, child support, custody, expungement, driver license restoration, discharge upgrades, VA overpayments, and re-entry services.
• MLP — Medical-Legal Partnership Partnership with Indiana healthcare providers including Eskenazi Health that delivers civil legal services to patients to address social determinants of health — housing instability, public benefits, family law — that negatively impact health outcomes. Services are free to patients referred by partner providers.
• Senior Law Project (SLP) Statewide program providing legal representation to persons 60 and over and residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Practice areas include estate planning, public benefits, housing, consumer law, and family law.
• WRAPP — Workers' Rights and Protection Project Statewide program providing know-your-rights education and legal services to vulnerable workers including migrant farmworkers, agricultural workers, and survivors of human trafficking. Practice areas include labor trafficking, sex trafficking, employment rights, immigration for trafficking survivors, family law, and expungement.
• Online Intake Application Web-based application system powered by LegalServer allowing eligible clients to apply for ILS legal assistance online 24/7, covering income, asset, and household information intake in multiple languages.
• Phone Intake Service Centralized telephone intake line at 1-844-243-8570, available Monday-Thursday 10am-2pm EST for clients to apply for ILS legal assistance by phone.
• Indiana Heirs' Property Initiative Initiative resolving and preventing heirs' property issues in Indiana, providing legal and educational support for affected families to protect land and build generational wealth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,591 cases handled in 2023
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles8 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Way of South Central IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2026United Way of South Central Indiana launched the 2026 Free Community Tax Service across Brown, Monroe, and Owen counties. ILS is a community partner collaborating to deliver the service and expand access to credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit for eligible Hoosiers earning $67,000 or less annually.
• Indiana healthcare providerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILS partners with healthcare providers throughout Indiana through Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) to provide civil legal services to patients. These partnerships focus on improving patient health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs by addressing legal issues that impact patients' ability to become well and stay well. Partners include Eskenazi Health and other healthcare organizations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Legal Aid Society: The flagship nonprofit civil legal aid provider in New York City, providing free legal services to low-income residents across housing, family, immigration, and consumer law. Operates as a Legal Services Corporation grantee with comparable project-based structure to ILS.
• Lone Star Legal Aid: Texas's largest provider of free civil legal aid to low-income residents, serving 72 counties through multiple regional offices. Functions as an LSC grantee with the same free-services nonprofit model and project specialization as ILS.
• Greater Boston Legal Services: Massachusetts LSC-funded legal aid provider delivering free civil legal services to low-income residents. Operates with similar specialized project units (housing, family, immigration, elder) and grants-based funding model.
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid: Minnesota-based LSC-funded nonprofit providing free civil legal services to low-income residents across 20 counties. Comparable mission, funding structure, and project-based service delivery model to ILS.

Emerging players

• Indiana Justice Project: Indiana-focused legal advocacy and policy organization working on criminal justice reform and civil legal aid. A thematic peer within ILS's same state footprint but with more policy/advocacy orientation than direct service.

Regional players

• Indiana Disability Rights: Indiana's designated Protection and Advocacy system providing free legal services to people with disabilities across the state. Operates within ILS's same geography with a more specialized disability-focus but comparable nonprofit advocacy model.
• Indiana Public Defender Council: Indiana state agency providing legal representation to indigent criminal defendants. While criminal (not civil) in focus, it shares the same Indiana geography, government funding base, and indigent-services mission as ILS.
• Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic: Indianapolis-based nonprofit legal aid provider offering free legal services to low-income residents of Central Indiana. While not statewide, it directly overlaps ILS's Indianapolis footprint and shares the free civil legal services mission.

Broad incumbents

• National Legal Aid & Defender Association: National membership and support organization for civil legal aid and public defender providers. Funds and supports programs like ILS, including a 2024 cy pres grant of $138K to ILS for consumer protection work.
• Legal Services Corporation: Federal funder of civil legal aid nationwide that distributes the federal appropriations underpinning ILS and ~130 other LSC grantees. Acts as the umbrella institution governing the funding stream ILS depends on.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/inlegalsvc
• Facebookfacebook.com/indianalegalservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indiana-legal-services-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/indianalegalservices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 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 Indiana Legal Services