Partners for Justice

What Partners for Justice does

Partners for Justice (PFJ) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2018 by Emily Galvin-Almanza that trains and deploys non-attorney Client Advocates as embedded case navigators within public defender offices across the United States. The organization's core function is to provide wraparound social services — across health and benefits, housing, employment, family, property, and mitigation categories — to low-income people facing criminal charges, who make up approximately 80% of those accused of crimes in the U.S. PFJ serves both the public defender agencies (its direct B2G counterparties) and the justice-involved individuals they represent, with embedded Advocates functioning as de facto employees of the host defender offices.

PFJ's product surface centers on the Collaborative Defense Framework, a six-tenet methodology (Have Vision, Ask the Right Questions, Empower the Client, Connect with Social Services, Access Legal Expertise, Change the Narrative) that structures client-led representation. The primary delivery vehicle is the two-year Client Advocate fellowship program, in which new professionals are recruited through a competitive process, intensively trained, and placed inside public defender offices. PFJ also offers a Collaborative Defense Toolkit (a free resource bank co-developed with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Bar Endowment), customizable Training Programs, Capacity Building Services for offices adopting collaborative defense, an annual Collaborative Defense Conference (over 200 attendees in 2025), and a series of Evidence Briefs supporting policy and practice reform. There is no underlying software platform or proprietary technology stack — the "technology" is codified methodology, training curriculum, and a distributed field workforce.

PFJ's revenue model is hybrid nonprofit funding: tax-deductible individual donations, foundation grants (notably Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Bar Endowment, plus Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation grants totaling approximately $250K across 2019-2022), and government contracts/partnerships with state and local public defender agencies. The organization reports $8.6M in government revenue secured since 2021 across new wraparound service hubs, with bipartisan support. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-government via enterprise partnerships with county-run offices, statewide public defender systems, and nonprofit defender organizations — there is no consumer-facing channel. As of 2025, PFJ operates in over 20 states with 45 service locations and approximately 100 embedded Client Advocates, having served 34,000 people since founding.

Name

Partners for Justice

Legal name

Partners for Justice

Website

https://partnersforjustice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Partners for Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that trains non-attorney Client Advocates and embeds them within U.S. public defender offices to deliver wraparound social services — covering housing, employment, health, and family needs — to low-income people facing criminal charges. The organization operates in 20+ states with 45 service locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Defense Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI)

Keywords

• Public defense services
• Wraparound support services
• Client advocacy programs
• Criminal defense reform
• Collaborative defense framework

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: PFJ is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax-deductible donations support hiring, training, and supporting Advocates in the field. Funding comes from individual donors and supporters.
2. Foundation Grants: PFJ receives support from foundations. Notable funders include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Bar Endowment for the Collaborative Defense Toolkit.
3. Government Funding: PFJ partners with state and local government to secure funding. Since 2021, PFJ has partnered with defenders to secure $8.6M in government revenue for new wraparound service hubs. Bipartisan support from both Republican and Democrat administrations.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Partners for Justice recruits, trains, and embeds non-attorney Client Advocates within public defender offices across the United States to deliver case navigation and wraparound support services (housing, employment, health, benefits, family, mitigation) to people facing criminal charges. Its work is structured around the proprietary Collaborative Defense framework, operationalized through the Client Advocate Program, the free Collaborative Defense Toolkit, Capacity Building Services, Training Programs, and the annual Collaborative Defense Conference.

Product overview

Partners for Justice is a national nonprofit organization offering a unified suite of public defense transformation services centered on its Collaborative Defense framework. The core offering is the Client Advocate Program—a two-year fellowship placing trained non-attorney advocates within public defender offices to provide wraparound social services. Complementing this are the Collaborative Defense Toolkit (free resource bank), Training Programs, Capacity Building Services, the Annual Collaborative Defense Conference, and Evidence Briefs. All offerings are designed to help public defenders practice client-led representation and reduce incarceration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Client Advocate Program A two-year fellowship program that recruits new professionals, trains them in the Collaborative Defense methodology, and places them as employees inside public defender offices across the United States to provide case navigation and wraparound support services (housing, employment, health, benefits, family, mitigation) to people facing criminal charges.
• Collaborative Defense Framework Proprietary framework for client-led public defense representation built on six tenets (Have Vision, Ask the Right Questions, Empower the Client, Connect with Social Services, Access Legal Expertise, Change the Narrative) that confronts the underlying causes and prevents the dire consequences of criminal legal involvement.
• Collaborative Defense Toolkit A free, publicly accessible resource bank of adaptable materials and strategies — including case-management handbooks, community-resource guides, and assessment tools — that helps defense providers incorporate Collaborative Defense into their offices. Developed with Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and American Bar Endowment.
• Training Programs Customizable training for public defense leadership, attorneys, social workers, advocates, navigators, investigators, and other staff on transitioning to client-led, collaborative practices, delivered through webinars, multi-day intensives, and curriculum development.
• Capacity Building Services Technical assistance working with individual public defender offices to assess current practices and implement Collaborative Defense — including training staff, designing intake questionnaires, creating referral structures, and developing data dashboards.
• Annual Collaborative Defense Conference A three-day annual conference welcoming defenders from across the country to engage in curated workshops and networking, with sessions on building trust with clients, mitigating impacts of detention, and enhancing collaborative defense practice. The 2025 edition drew over 200 attendees.
• Evidence Briefs Published research and evidence briefs on what lowers crime, housing, health, economic mobility, family impacts, and defense practices, intended to support policy reform and public defense advocacy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87% of people receiving both services and mitigation ended their cases without prison or jail time
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• New Jersey Office of the Public DefendercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 November 2024PFJ and NJOPD announced partnership to enhance collaborative, holistic representation across Atlantic, Hudson, and Monmouth counties. Client Advocates are placed in NJOPD offices to connect individuals with community resources and guidance. PFJ trains NJOPD staff on trauma-informed approaches and collaborative defense best practices.
• San Diego County Public Defender's OfficeflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023PFJ invited by San Diego County's Racial Justice Commission to partner exclusively serving children and young people involved in the criminal legal system. Under Andrew Strong's guidance, San Diego became the only county among PFJ's 45 service locations to bring PFJ team through direct community engagement. Advocates have worked with over 300 young people.
• Los Angeles County Public Defender's OfficeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ's largest partnership with 27 Client Advocates embedded across LA County working alongside the public defender's office. In 2024, Advocates assisted over 2,800 individuals with over 90% successfully completing court-ordered requirements.
• Harris County Public Defender's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership began in 2019. Since August 2022, 21 Advocates have served 1,613 people with 2,900 matters. Advocates support attorneys with case management, mitigation, reentry plans, document obtainment, benefits access, and treatment/housing assistance. Home to PFJ's Holistic Services Division.
• Delaware Office of Defense ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ Client Advocates placed with Delaware ODS including Latoya White and Ryan Cieslukowski. Advocates helped organize community resource fairs with Food Bank of Delaware and Delaware Department of Justice.
• Colorado State Public DefendercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ announced new partnership with Colorado State Public Defender to expand PFJ's reach through new partnerships in 2024.
• San Mateo County, CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ launched new Client Advocate partnership in San Mateo County, California in 2024.
• MississippicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ launched new Client Advocate partnership in Mississippi in 2024, including Hinds County Public Defender in Jackson.
• VirginiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ launched new Client Advocate partnership in Virginia in 2024.
• Tribal Defenders Office for Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (Montana)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMontana tribal defender office, recipient of PFJ Legacy Award for commitment to collaborative defense.
• Alameda County Public Defender's Office (California)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly PFJ partner. Public Defender Brendon Woods called advocates 'game changers.'
• Cumberland County, PennsylvaniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChief Public Defender Michael Halkias leads office that has had client advocates for nearly a year. Emphasizes holistic defense giving clients agency and autonomy.
• Hinds County Public Defender (Jackson, Mississippi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial project called FOR THE DEFENSE places 2 Client Advocates within the office with a fund for expert testimony. Public Defender Gail Wright Lowery praised the partnership.
• New Jersey Public Defender (Atlantic, Hudson, Monmouth counties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Defender Jennifer Sellitti leads offices that have helped clients access treatment programs faster than traditional routes. Client advocates bridge communication gap between lawyers and clients.
• Linn County (Iowa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ Client Advocates in Linn County featured on KCRG news. Marked one year of bringing different approach to public defense in eastern Iowa.
• Stanislaus County Public Defender (California)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership helped revamp Client Social Services role and unit to expand service provision in this unique socio-political jurisdiction.
• Missouri State Public DefendercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImplemented statewide Holistic Defense Services Unit as part of collaborative defense framework.
• Chicago Defenders (Illinois)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPFJ helped launch two new community defense centers in Chicago as part of capacity building expansion across Illinois in 2024.
• University of Pennsylvania (Quattrone Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy by Dr. Paul Heaton found Client Advocates in Delaware County, PA increased cases resolved without conviction by nearly 50%. Partnership to deepen evidence base.
• StanfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Stanford Impact to deepen evidence base for PFJ's work.
• Food Bank of DelawareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with PFJ Client Advocates to host Summer Community Resource Fair in Milford, Delaware.
• Delaware Department of JusticeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with PFJ Client Advocates to host Summer Community Resource Fair.

Scale indicators17 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Emerging players

• The Bail Project: National nonprofit focused on pre-trial bail reform and supporting people impacted by cash bail. Comparable to PFJ in mission of reducing incarceration and supporting justice-involved individuals, though focused on a narrower intervention point.

Direct peers

• The Bronx Defenders: Pioneer of the holistic defense model that integrates civil, criminal, and social work services within a public defender office. Directly comparable to PFJ because it employs non-attorney advocates in defender settings to address underlying needs, validating the same client-led approach PFJ promotes.
• Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem: Community-based holistic public defender office serving Harlem with integrated social work and advocacy services. Closely comparable to PFJ's model of embedding non-attorney advocates within defender offices to provide wraparound support and improve case outcomes.
• Gideon's Promise: Nonprofit that trains and supports public defenders, particularly in under-resourced Southern jurisdictions. Directly comparable to PFJ in its training-and-capacity-building approach for public defense, though focuses on attorney development rather than non-attorney advocacy.

Others

• Measures for Justice: Nonprofit that builds data infrastructure to measure criminal justice system performance at the county level. Comparable to PFJ in its evidence-building mission and outcome validation focus, but operates as an enabling data and analytics layer rather than direct service provider.
• National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): National membership association for legal aid and public defender organizations. Functions as an ecosystem convener rather than direct service provider, but shares PFJ's mission of strengthening public defense and supports similar policy reform agendas.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): Large civil rights organization with significant criminal justice reform litigation and advocacy portfolio. Operates at much greater scale and broader scope than PFJ but pursues overlapping reform goals including public defense investment and decarceration.
• Equal Justice Initiative (EJI): Founded by Bryan Stevenson, EJI provides legal representation to people facing harsh sentences and pursues criminal justice reform. Comparable to PFJ in public defense advocacy and outcomes focus, though operates broader litigation and policy campaigns.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Major national criminal justice research and reform organization operating across many justice system domains. Comparable to PFJ in mission (criminal justice reform) but broader in scope, with substantial resources to develop and disseminate holistic defense and public defense models.
• Center for Court Innovation: National nonprofit that develops pilot programs in courts and defender settings, including problem-solving courts and community-based justice initiatives. Adjacent to PFJ's work in reshaping how public defense is delivered and how courts address underlying client needs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/pfj_usa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCV8tq_ZeyGBP_KJWgdMi2zg
• Facebookfacebook.com/partnersforjustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/partners-for-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/partnersforjustice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors1 record

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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 Partners for Justice