Brennan Center for Justice

What Brennan Center for Justice does

The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute affiliated with and hosted at NYU School of Law (EIN 13-3839293), operating from a New York headquarters at 120 Broadway Suite 1750 and a secondary office in Washington DC at 777 6th St NW. Founded in 1995 and led since 2005 by President and CEO Michael Waldman, the center employs between 251 and 500 staff focused on threats to American democracy, including voter suppression, money in politics, criminal justice reform, executive power, and Supreme Court accountability. Its deliverables fall into five program areas — Voting & Elections, Money in Politics, Courts, Criminal Justice, and Government Power — and include research reports, policy solutions, amicus-related court case tracking, educational explainers (e.g., Citizens United, Explained), expert briefs, analysis and opinion pieces, a podcast (Brennan Center Live), and The Benchmark, a dedicated Supreme Court news and analysis hub.

Name

Brennan Center for Justice

Legal name

Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law

Website

http://www.brennancenter.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonprofit, nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU School of Law that publishes research, policy solutions, and public education on voting rights, campaign finance, criminal justice, the Supreme Court, and government power for the public, policymakers, and the legal community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Policy and Legal Research Institute

NAICS

Legal Counsel and Prosecution (922130), Legal Counsel and Prosecution (92213), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (9221), Courts (92211), Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA), Judicial Oversight, Sentencing & Parole Boards (BPAIAFAK), Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ), Law & Legal Studies Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAG)

Keywords

• Public policy research
• Legal advocacy
• Voting rights research
• Democracy reform
• Constitutional law analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: The Brennan Center accepts individual donations through its secure donation portal, with suggested amounts ranging from $25 to $250 per contribution. Donations are tax-deductible as the organization is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Monthly Giving Program: The organization offers monthly recurring donation options, allowing supporters to give on a regular basis to sustain ongoing work.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Brennan Center for Justice is a nonpartisan law and policy institute at NYU School of Law that produces research reports, policy solutions, legal analysis, explainers, and public education on democracy and justice issues including voting rights, money in politics, courts, criminal justice, and government power.

Product overview

The Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law is a nonpartisan policy institute (not a technology company) that produces research, analysis, policy solutions, explainers, expert briefs, podcasts, and court case documentation focused on democracy and justice issues. The organization publishes substantive reports and articles through multiple programs covering Voting & Elections, Money in Politics, Courts, Criminal Justice, and Government Power. Key products include The Benchmark (Supreme Court news hub), policy solution series addressing corruption, Supreme Court reform, and congressional dysfunction, and educational explainers on legal topics like Citizens United and gerrymandering. The center also hosts events and produces a podcast series featuring expert discussions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research & Reports In-depth policy research publications covering democracy, justice, voting rights, money in politics, courts, criminal justice, and constitutional law issues, for the public, policymakers, and the legal community.
• Policy Solutions Actionable policy recommendations and proposals for reforming democratic institutions, addressing corruption, fixing Congress, and strengthening the Supreme Court.
• Analysis & Opinion Expert commentary and analysis on current events related to voting rights, elections, money in politics, and government accountability.
• Explainers Educational content breaking down complex legal topics such as Citizens United, gerrymandering, voting rights, and constitutional issues for general audiences.
• Court Cases Documentation and analysis of significant legal cases related to democracy and justice issues that the Brennan Center tracks or participates in.
• The Benchmark A comprehensive hub for Supreme Court news, analysis, polling, and resources featuring perspectives from Brennan Center experts and outside scholars, advocates, journalists, and retired judges.
• Brennan Center Live / Podcast A virtual and in-person event and podcast series featuring conversations with well-known thinkers on democracy, justice, race, and the Constitution.
• Expert Briefs Concise analytical pieces authored by Brennan Center experts on pressing policy issues and current events.
• Voting & Elections Program Research and advocacy focused on voting rights, election security, redistricting, voter suppression, and ensuring access to the ballot.
• Money in Politics Program Work addressing campaign finance, dark money, super PACs, public financing, and reducing the influence of big money in politics.
• Courts Program Analysis and reform proposals for federal courts, including Supreme Court reform, judicial ethics, and term limits.
• Criminal Justice Program Policy research and recommendations for criminal justice reform in the United States.
• Government Power Program Work focused on executive power, constitutional issues, rule of law, and checks and balances.
• Nine Solutions for Political Corruption A policy report outlining nine solutions to address political corruption including dark money bans, contractor donation bans, small donor public financing, and constitutional amendments.
• Six Solutions to Fix the Supreme Court Policy recommendations for reforming the Supreme Court including term limits, ethics codes, and structural changes.
• Eight Solutions to Unstick Congress Agenda for congressional reform to restore the institution's relevance and effectiveness.
• Citizens United, Explained Comprehensive explainer on the 2010 Supreme Court decision, its impact on campaign finance, and the rise of super PACs and dark money.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Brennan Center has published influential research on campaign finance, voting rights, and corruption that has shaped public debate and policy proposals.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brookings Institution: Major nonpartisan policy research organization producing influential analysis across governance, law, and economics. Comparable as a large, multi-program Washington-based think tank with similar funding model (donations, grants) and similar influence on public policy debates.
• Center for American Progress: Progressive policy research and advocacy organization with comparable size, multi-issue portfolio, and direct overlap on voting rights, campaign finance, and criminal justice reform.
• Vera Institute of Justice: Nonprofit research and policy organization focused on criminal justice reform. Direct overlap with Brennan Center's Criminal Justice Program on sentencing, incarceration, and justice policy reform.
• NAACP Legal Defense Fund: National legal organization conducting litigation, research, and advocacy on civil rights and racial justice. Comparable as a donor-funded civil rights organization producing legal analysis and amicus briefs on voting rights and criminal justice.
• New America: Nonpartisan think tank conducting research across policy domains including democracy, education, and technology. Comparable in size, donor-funded structure, and breadth of policy programming.
• Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights: Coalition of civil rights organizations coordinating advocacy on voting rights, criminal justice, and judicial nominations. Direct overlap on Brennan Center's voting and courts portfolios.
• R Street Institute: Nonprofit public policy research organization producing analysis on law, economics, and governance. Comparable as a moderate, donor-funded think tank engaging on criminal justice and constitutional issues.
• American Constitution Society: Legal and policy organization focused on constitutional law and the judiciary. Direct overlap on Brennan Center's Courts Program and Supreme Court reform work.

Broad incumbents

• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): Large national civil liberties organization with significant overlap on constitutional rights, voting rights, and criminal justice reform litigation. Similar donor-funded model and comparable influence in court advocacy.
• Heritage Foundation: Large, well-funded conservative policy research organization with comparable scale, multi-program structure, and outsized influence on policy debates — a counterpoint in ideological orientation but a structural peer in operating model and reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheBrennanCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrennanCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brennan-center-for-justice
• Instagraminstagram.com/brennancenter
• TikToktiktok.com/@brennancenter
• Xx.com/BrennanCenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Brennan Center for Justice