Gender Justice

What Gender Justice does

Gender Justice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization founded in June 2010 by attorneys Jill Gaulding and Lisa Stratton, headquartered in Saint Paul, Minnesota, with an emerging operational footprint in North Dakota. Its mission is to dismantle legal, structural, and cultural barriers to gender equity through four core service lines: strategic and impact litigation seeking to advance civil-rights precedent; policy advocacy at the Minnesota and North Dakota statehouses and in federal venues; public education via toolkits, a podcast (The Gender Justice Brief), SCOTUS Chats, and Trans Equity Trainings; and expert legal analysis grounded in the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Title VII, Title IX, and Section 1557 of the ACA. The organization serves individuals facing gender-based discrimination — transgender and LGBQ+ people, women, and pregnant people — across domains including sports, schools, workplaces, healthcare, prisons, foster care, and public accommodations, as well as legislators and coalition partners engaged in gender-equity policy. It has secured multiple first-in-the-nation legal rulings, notably the 2015 federal Section 1557 transgender ruling, the 2022 Doe v. Minnesota abortion-restriction decision, the 2024 pharmacist-refusal ruling in Anderson v. Thrifty White, and the October 2025 unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court decision in Cooper v. USA Powerlifting.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: services are delivered free to clients, and revenue derives from individual donations, foundation grants, fellowship sponsorships (Equal Justice Works, Skadden, Robina, Stanford), and a transformational $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in March 2024 — the largest one-time gift in the organization's history. Settlement and verdict proceeds recovered on behalf of clients flow primarily to those clients. In 2022, Gender Justice extended its reach by launching Gender Justice Action, a 501(c)(4) sister organization focused on electoral and legislative activity, and the UnRestrict Minnesota Action program. Governance is provided by a board of directors; executive leadership is led by Executive Director Megan J. Peterson (joined 2016), Legal Director Jess Braverman (joined 2019), and a senior team including a Chief of Staff, Political Director, Development Director, Senior Staff Attorneys, and an Equal Justice Works Fellow. The firmographic headcount is 1–10, but actual staffing as enumerated across management disclosures is substantially larger, supported by an extensive pro bono co-counsel network (Nichols Kaster, Robins Kaplan, Lockridge Grindal Nauen, Weil Gotshal & Manges, Best & Flanagan, Ciresi Conlin, Wanta Thome PLC, and The Center for Reproductive Rights) that materially amplifies capacity beyond the payroll.

Name

Gender Justice

Legal name

Gender Justice

Website

https://genderjustice.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gender Justice is a Saint Paul-based 501(c)(3) legal and policy advocacy nonprofit that advances gender equity through strategic impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education, primarily serving transgender and LGBQ+ individuals, women, and pregnant people across Minnesota and North Dakota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Advocacy Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD), LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Legal advocacy services
• Impact litigation
• Policy advocacy
• Gender equity law
• Civil rights litigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: Gender Justice is funded primarily through donations and grants from individuals, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. Major grants include a $2 million gift from MacKenzie Scott's Yield Giving Open Call in 2024. The organization also runs donation campaigns and receives tax-deductible contributions.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Gender Justice is a nonprofit legal and policy advocacy organization that advances gender equity through strategic impact litigation, legislative policy advocacy, public education, and coalition building. It provides free legal representation to individuals facing gender-based discrimination in cases involving transgender rights, reproductive freedom, economic justice, and freedom from gender-based violence, and delivers Trans Equity Trainings and educational toolkits to organizations and the public.

Product overview

Gender Justice is a legal advocacy nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected services focused on advancing gender equity through strategic impact litigation, policy advocacy, public education, and expert legal analysis. The organization operates as a unified service organization rather than a software platform, providing direct legal representation in high-impact cases (such as Cooper v. USA Powerlifting, T.D. v. Wrigley, and Mudra v. Buffalo Wild Wings), trans equity training programs, policy advocacy at the Minnesota and North Dakota legislatures, and educational toolkits and resources. The portfolio includes affiliated entities Gender Justice Action (501c4 political arm) and coalition programs like UnRestrict Minnesota, as well as The Gender Justice Brief podcast. Services are delivered through case intake, community education, legislative advocacy, and coalition building rather than a software product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic & Impact Litigation Impact litigation on behalf of individual clients and others experiencing similar discrimination, seeking to set legal precedents, change interpretation of the law, and raise new issues unaddressed by courts. For individual clients in Minnesota and North Dakota facing gender-based discrimination.
• Policy Advocacy Advocacy in the Minnesota statehouse and Congress on behalf of policies that advance gender equity, promoting new laws and working to stop those that undermine freedoms, dignity, and autonomy. For legislators, policymakers, and coalition partners.
• Public Education Cultural and attitudinal change work that complements legal strategies, empowering people to know their rights and supporting cultural shifts to realize those rights. For the general public, supporters, and media.
• Expert Legal Analysis Expert legal analysis grounded in the Minnesota Human Rights Act, Title VII, Title IX, and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, provided to courts, policymakers, coalition partners, and the media.
• Legal Assistance & Case Intake Legal intake services that evaluate cases for their potential to advance gender equity law, accepting cases involving gender discrimination, trans rights, reproductive freedom, and related civil rights matters. Free to individuals seeking legal help in Minnesota and North Dakota.
• Trans Equity Trainings Training programs for allies and organizations on supporting trans equity, having effective discussions about trans rights, taking action, and connecting with others passionate about trans equity. For churches, employers, healthcare providers, schools, and LGBTQ+ organizations.
• The Gender Justice Brief Podcast A podcast about achieving gender equity featuring episodes on SCOTUS decisions, trans rights, reproductive freedom, and interviews with advocates. Free to the general public.
• Gender Justice Action (501(c)(4)) Sister 501(c)(4) political nonprofit focused on electing pro-gender equity champions, legislative action, and advancing reproductive freedom agenda in Minnesota. Operates alongside the 501(c)(3) Gender Justice.

Quantifiable outcome

• Unanimous Minnesota Supreme Court ruling in Cooper v. USA Powerlifting (October 2025) establishing that trans people have the right to participate authentically in public life under the Minnesota Human Rights Act.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nichols KastercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Cooper v. USA Powerlifting litigation, working alongside Gender Justice to challenge USA Powerlifting's exclusion of transgender athlete JayCee Cooper from women's competition.
• Robins Kaplan LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Lusk v. Minnesota Department of Corrections, partnering with Gender Justice to secure a groundbreaking settlement for transgender rights in incarceration.
• Wanta Thome PLCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Reyzl Grace v. Academy of Holy Angels, representing Gender Justice clients in a lawsuit challenging discrimination against a transgender librarian by a Catholic school.
• The Lawyering ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey legal partner in multiple cases including the challenge to North Dakota's abortion ban and T.D. v. Wrigley (challenging North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for trans youth).
• Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Anderson v. Thrifty White, the landmark case where the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that a pharmacist's refusal to fill emergency contraception constitutes illegal sex discrimination.
• Ciresi Conlin LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in T.D. v. Wrigley, the challenge to North Dakota's ban on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
• Best & Flanagan LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Woods v. BHM School District settlement, securing $218,500 and significant policy changes for a transgender student facing discrimination.
• The Center for Reproductive RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in Red River Women's Clinic v. Drew H. Wrigley, challenging North Dakota's extreme abortion ban.
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-counsel in the challenge to North Dakota's abortion ban (Red River Women's Clinic v. Drew H. Wrigley).
• Gender Justice Action (501(c)(4))coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGender Justice's political non-profit sister organization, launched in 2022, focused on electing pro-gender equity champions, legislative action, and the UnRestrict Minnesota Action (URMA) program. Gender Justice and Gender Justice Action work in tandem to advance gender equity through both legal and political channels.
• UnRestrict MinnesotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition led by Gender Justice advocating for abortion access and reproductive freedom in Minnesota. Key victories include passing the PRO Act, Reproductive Freedom Defense Act, and historic abortion law repeals. Coalition won Doe v. Minnesota court victory and helped elect Minnesota's first pro-reproductive freedom legislative majority.
• Minnesotans for Equal Rights CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiverse coalition of 40+ organizations (unions, faith leaders, disability justice, racial equity, LGBTQ+ communities, reproductive freedom movement) working to pass the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment. Gender Justice is a founding/proud member. Partners include ACLU of Minnesota, ERA Minnesota, League of Women Voters of Minnesota, MN AFL-CIO, OutFront Minnesota, Pro-Choice Minnesota, TakeAction Minnesota, Women's Foundation of Minnesota, YWCA Minneapolis, and others.
• North Dakota Human Rights Campaign (NDHRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in hosting the inaugural People's Session in North Dakota in 2025 — a grassroots gathering where everyday North Dakotans set a legislative agenda rooted in fairness and dignity, as an alternative to the state's anti-LGBTQ+ legislative priorities.
• Equal Justice WorksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship program providing sponsorship for Samantha Nagler, Equal Justice Works Fellow at Gender Justice, whose project focuses on combating predatory Crisis Pregnancy Centers.
• University of Minnesota Human Rights CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship sponsor and academic partner providing Human Rights Center fellows to Gender Justice.
• Minnesota Asian Pacific American Bar AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFellowship sponsor providing funding and support for Gender Justice legal fellows.
• The Alliance: State Advocates for Women's Rights & Gender EqualityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in the 'Designed to Deceive' study on Crisis Pregnancy Centers, released in 2022, which exposed CPC surveillance practices and informed the Minnesota Attorney General's consumer advisory.
• Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual AssaultminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner in advancing comprehensive sex education legislation and statewide health education standards.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lambda Legal: National LGBTQ+ civil rights legal organization pursuing impact litigation, public education, and advocacy. Direct strategic peer in mission and litigation style, operating at federal scale while Gender Justice focuses regionally — the two organizations have overlapping case theories (e.g., trans rights in sports, healthcare, and public accommodations).
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): National legal organization advancing LGBTQ+ civil rights through impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education. Direct strategic peer with similar case theory on discrimination, family law, employment, and transgender rights — comparable in size and operating model to Gender Justice's Legal program.
• GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): New England-based legal organization pursuing impact litigation on LGBTQ+ rights, including pioneering cases on marriage, transgender rights, and discrimination. Operates a comparable strategic-litigation-plus-policy model and has won multiple precedent-setting rulings that mirror Gender Justice's first-in-the-nation approach.
• Center for Reproductive Rights: Global reproductive rights legal organization and a named co-counsel partner of Gender Justice in Red River Women's Clinic v. Wrigley. Direct peer in the reproductive freedom practice area with overlapping case portfolio (abortion access, contraception, personhood) and impact-litigation model.
• Pro-Choice Minnesota: Minnesota-based reproductive rights advocacy organization and named coalition partner in the UnRestrict Minnesota coalition. Directly comparable as a regional reproductive freedom advocacy nonprofit in the same geography with overlapping coalition and policy advocacy work.
• National Women's Law Center: National legal and policy organization advancing gender equity across employment, education, healthcare, and reproductive rights. Direct strategic peer in policy advocacy and litigation, with overlapping issues like pregnancy discrimination, pay equity, and equal rights — though operating at significantly larger national scale.
• ACLU of Minnesota: Minnesota affiliate of the ACLU and a named coalition partner in the Minnesotans for Equal Rights Coalition. Engages in direct impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education on civil rights and civil liberties, including gender and LGBTQ+ rights — directly comparable in mission, geography, and operational model.
• Transgender Law Center: Largest national trans-led civil rights organization, focused on impact litigation, policy advocacy, and movement building for transgender communities. Direct peer in case areas (trans healthcare, sports, schools, prisons) that overlap heavily with Gender Justice's docket, including the Lusk-type prison conditions matters.
• OutFront Minnesota: Minnesota's leading LGBTQ+ advocacy organization, founded and led by Monica Meyer (now Political Director at Gender Justice). Operates as a statewide LGBTQ+ policy and advocacy nonprofit with similar coalition-building and legislative focus in the same Upper Midwest geography.

Broad incumbents

• Southern Poverty Law Center: Large national civil rights organization pursuing impact litigation, policy advocacy, and public education on a broad portfolio of issues including LGBTQ+ rights. Functions as a broad incumbent that overlaps with Gender Justice's human rights advocacy and litigation model but operates at much greater scale and across a much wider issue mandate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/genderjustice
• Facebookfacebook.com/GenderJustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gender-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/genderjustice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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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 Gender Justice