Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

What Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights does

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1969 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois (EIN: 51-0189264). The organization provides free legal representation, advocacy, and coalition-based programs to advance racial equity and protect civil rights across Illinois and Indiana, with service areas including direct legal assistance to nonprofits and small businesses, settlement assistance for federal civil rights cases, education equity, housing discrimination, and a Midwest Voting Rights Program. Under Executive Director Venu Gupta (permanent since January 28, 2026), CLC runs a national-scale Election Protection coalition presence in the region, a Democracy Defense initiative, the Nonprofit Resilience Hub, and the Clyde Murphy Memorial Fellowship pipeline program.

The organization's service model is a "private bar partnership" approach: CLC mobilizes hundreds of volunteer attorneys each year from member law firms (including Winston & Strawn, Mayer Brown, Benesch, Eimer Stahl, McDermott Will & Schulte, Crowell & Moring, and Sligo Law Group) to deliver thousands of hours of pro bono legal assistance annually. CLC files impact litigation across voting rights, fair housing, education funding, and civil rights defense — including active federal cases against the Trump Administration's anti-DEI executive orders, the Indiana citizenship check laws, and the U.S. Department of Education's discontinuation of $18.5M in Full-Service Community Schools grants.

Revenue is entirely donation-funded with no fees charged to clients, sourced from individual donations, monthly recurring gifts, cy pres awards, Corporate Leadership Council member firm contributions (minimum $2,500 annually), and foundation/government grants. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors (chaired by José Behar as Board President), led by VP/Legal Director Aneel Chablani, and operates programmatic directors across voting rights (Ami Gandhi), education equity (Beatriz Diaz-Pollack), and housing (Emily Coffey).

Name

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights

Legal name

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law

Website

https://clccrul.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1969 that provides free civil rights legal representation and advocacy across Illinois and Indiana, mobilizing volunteer attorneys from member law firms to serve nonprofits, small businesses, voters, students, and housing seekers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Rights Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Civil rights legal services
• Pro bono legal assistance
• Voting rights advocacy
• Housing discrimination law
• Education equity advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN: 51-0189264), Chicago Lawyers' Committee relies primarily on donations from supporters, monthly recurring donations, tribute donations, stocks and securities, donor-advised funds, and planned/legacy giving.
2. Cy Pres Awards: The organization receives cy pres awards - residual funds from class action case settlements distributed by courts to charitable causes. These funds support expansion of civil rights legal work.
3. Corporate Leadership Council Membership Contributions: Corporate Leadership Council member institutions contribute at least $2,500 annually to support the organization's civil rights work.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights provides free legal representation, policy advocacy, and coalition-based litigation to advance racial equity and civil rights in Illinois and Indiana. Core offerings include direct legal services for nonprofits and small businesses, settlement assistance for federal civil rights cases, education equity advocacy, equitable housing and community development work, voting rights protection, and Election Protection programs. Services are delivered through pro bono volunteer attorneys from member law firms and partner community organizations.

Product overview

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights is a nonpartisan, nonprofit legal services organization that provides a comprehensive portfolio of civil rights programs and services rather than a traditional technology product. The organization operates through direct legal representation (Legal Assistance for Nonprofits and Small Businesses, Settlement Assistance Program), advocacy programs (Education Equity, Equitable Community Development and Housing, Midwest Voting Rights Program, Democracy Defense), voter protection services (Election Protection with multilingual hotlines), and community support initiatives (Nonprofit Resilience Hub). These core programs are supported by volunteer engagement (Pro Bono Works, NextGen Leadership Council), fellowship opportunities (Clyde Murphy Memorial Fellowship), corporate membership (Corporate Leadership Council), and funding programs (Cy Pres Awards). The organization mobilizes volunteer attorneys to provide thousands of hours of legal assistance annually addressing housing, education, voting rights, and economic justice issues throughout Illinois and Indiana.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Assistance for Nonprofits and Small Businesses Free legal assistance to nonprofits and small businesses in historically disinvested communities, including compliance, reporting, policy generation, and guidance on working with volunteers and independent contractors.
• Settlement Assistance Program Connects individuals who file federal civil rights lawsuits without counsel to volunteer attorneys, providing support for pro se litigants in federal civil rights cases.
• Education Equity Legal advocacy and policy work addressing educational equity issues, including school funding, school discipline, and access to quality public education in Illinois and Indiana.
• Equitable Community Development and Housing Legal and policy advocacy addressing housing discrimination, affordable housing access, source-of-income discrimination, and equitable community development throughout Illinois and Indiana.
• Midwest Voting Rights Program Nonpartisan program protecting and advancing voting rights in Illinois and Indiana through litigation, policy advocacy, and coalition building.
• Election Protection Nonpartisan coalition program providing voter information, hotline support (866-OUR-VOTE and multilingual variants), poll monitoring, and voter education during elections in Illinois and Indiana.
• Democracy Defense Initiative defending democratic institutions and protecting civil rights from federal overreach and policy changes.
• Nonprofit Resilience Hub Resources and assistance helping nonprofits build capacity, navigate challenges, and continue providing essential services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of volunteer attorneys mobilized annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational affiliate providing coordination on Election Protection programs, joint litigation efforts, and shared civil rights advocacy mission. Chicago Lawyers' Committee leads regional Election Protection programs in Illinois and Indiana under this partnership.
• Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Election Protection efforts to protect voter access and voter safety, particularly for immigrant communities. Joint coordination for March 2026 Illinois Primary Election included Family Support Network Hotline for ICE sighting reports near polling places.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered for Election Protection coalition to support voters, particularly limited English proficient voters and Asian American communities through language access monitoring and poll watching programs.
• ACT Now IllinoiscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRepresented ACT Now Illinois in federal lawsuit challenging U.S. Department of Education's unlawful discontinuation of $18.5 million Full-Service Community Schools grants. The lawsuit protects services for 19,000 students across 32 schools.
• Metropolitan Family ServicescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerACT Now Illinois's fiscal sponsor; jointly represented in litigation challenging federal grant discontinuation for community schools programs.
• Freedom Network USAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRepresented Freedom Network USA (nation's largest survivor-led anti-trafficking coalition) in lawsuit challenging Trump Administration's anti-DEI executive orders that threatened federal grants serving 4,000+ survivors annually.
• League of Women Voters of IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in lawsuit challenging Indiana's unlawful citizenship check laws that target naturalized citizens. Chicago Lawyers' Committee provides legal representation.
• Common Cause IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in lawsuit challenging Indiana citizenship check laws. Partner in voting rights advocacy and Election Protection efforts.
• Count US IndianacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner assisting with Election Protection poll watching and voter protection efforts in Indiana primary and general elections.
• Sligo Law GroupcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-counsel with Chicago Lawyers' Committee representing ACT Now Illinois and other clients in federal litigation challenging government actions.
• Eimer Stahl LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-counsel representing ACT Now Illinois in federal lawsuit challenging Department of Education grant discontinuation.
• McDermott Will & SchultecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-counsel representing HOPE Fair Housing Center and Caroline Bermudez in lawsuit against Chicago Housing Authority for neglected scattered site properties.
• Crowell & Moring LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPro bono counsel representing Freedom Network USA alongside Chicago Lawyers' Committee in anti-DEI executive orders lawsuit.
• Chicago Housing InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance the Accountable Housing and Anti-Discrimination Waitlist Ordinance (AHAD) and advocate for affordable housing access reform.
• Access LivingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in housing advocacy and Centralized Affordable Housing Listing Portal Ordinance coalition to connect tenants to affordable housing.
• NAACP Legal Defense FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advocating for Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026; part of Illinois Voting Rights Coalition steering committee.
• Lugenia Burns Hope CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in Illinois Voting Rights Act advocacy; steering committee member of Illinois Voting Rights Coalition.
• CHANGE IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner advocating for Illinois Voting Rights Act of 2026; part of Illinois Voting Rights Coalition steering committee.
• HOPE Fair Housing CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCo-counsel representing HOPE Fair Housing Center in lawsuit against Chicago Housing Authority for discrimination in scattered site property maintenance.
• PEER Illinois (Partnership for Equity and Education Rights)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEER Illinois is an affiliated statewide advocacy network. Chicago Lawyers' Committee supports PEER Illinois's education funding advocacy and public education campaigns.
• Winston & Strawn LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember law firm contributing pro bono attorneys to provide transactional legal support to BIPOC-led small businesses and nonprofits, supporting economic development and racial wealth gap closure.
• Mayer Brown LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember law firm providing pro bono legal support expanding economic opportunity and protecting rights of individuals across Chicago.
• Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember law firm providing transactional pro bono legal assistance to entrepreneurs and charitable organizations in disadvantaged communities.
• ACLU National Voting Rights ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in motion to intervene in DOJ lawsuit demanding Illinois voter data, protecting voter privacy and preventing voter disenfranchisement.
• ACLU IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in motion to protect Illinois voter privacy against DOJ overreach; joint advocacy for voting rights protection.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (National): National umbrella affiliate of Chicago Lawyers' Committee and explicit coalition partner on Election Protection, anti-DEI suits, and Indiana voting cases. Operates the same legal-advocacy-plus-pro-bono model across the U.S., with overlapping case dockets and shared staff.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: Premier national civil rights legal organization; co-steering committee partner with CLC on the Illinois Voting Rights Act coalition. Comparable mission, litigation capacity, and donor base, and frequently filed as co-counsel on voting and education equity matters.
• ACLU of Illinois: State-level civil liberties affiliate that has co-counseled with CLC on the DOJ voter data privacy motion to intervene. Operates the same free legal services-plus-policy advocacy model in Illinois on voting rights, immigration, and criminal justice.
• Public Counsel: Largest pro bono legal services provider in Los Angeles, using the same private-bar mobilization model to deliver free legal services to nonprofits, small businesses, and underserved communities — directly comparable to CLC's Legal Assistance for Nonprofits and Small Businesses program.
• Mexican American Legal Defense Fund (MALDEF): National Latino civil rights legal organization that uses litigation, advocacy, and community education to defend voting rights and equal educational opportunity — overlapping mission areas with CLC's Midwest Voting Rights and Education Equity programs.
• Lambda Legal: National civil rights legal organization focused on LGBTQ+ rights through impact litigation and policy advocacy. Comparable in scale, funding model (donations, cy pres), and reliance on private bar pro bono partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large, established civil rights organization combining impact litigation, education, and monitoring across the South and nationally. Operates a much broader program mix (including the Klan Watch, tolerance education) than CLC's regional Midwest focus, but shares the litigation-and-advocacy playbook and donor base.
• National Women's Law Center: National civil rights legal organization focused on gender equity using litigation, policy advocacy, and coalition building. Comparable scale, funding model, and reliance on federal court impact litigation; broader identity-based focus than CLC's racial-equity frame.

Regional players

• Legal Aid Chicago: Chicago-based legal aid organization delivering free civil legal services to low-income residents in matters including housing, education, and public benefits. Directly comparable operating geography and case-type mix to CLC's housing and education equity programs, though focused on direct representation rather than impact litigation.

Emerging players

• Appleseed Foundation: National network of 17 Appleseed centers using private-bar pro bono resources for systemic justice work. Highly comparable operating model (leveraging volunteer lawyers for impact litigation and policy advocacy) but operates as a decentralized network rather than a single regional entity like CLC.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ChgoCivilRights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights