Health Law Advocates

What Health Law Advocates does

Health Law Advocates (HLA) is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit public interest law firm founded in 1994 by Stephen Rosenfeld, dedicated exclusively to advancing healthcare access for low-income Massachusetts residents. The organization operates from its headquarters at 70 Franklin Street with a 45-50 person staff spanning attorneys, paralegals, and administrative personnel under Executive Director Matt Selig (in role since 2009). HLA combines direct legal representation, policy advocacy, impact litigation, and coalition building, anchored by a long-standing partnership with Health Care For All on universal coverage advocacy.

HLA delivers services through approximately eleven discrete initiatives rather than a unified product. The flagship, the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids (MHAP for Kids), places 15 staff attorneys in Family Resource Centers across every Massachusetts county, serving children at risk of juvenile justice involvement due to unmet mental health needs. Complementary initiatives include the Medical-Legal Partnership for Immigrants (MLPI), Medical Debt Initiative, Gender-Diverse Health Care Access Project, Mental Health and Substance Use Parity Initiative, Health Care Reform Defense Initiative, and Advocating for Health Care at Home project, supported by a Pro Bono Legal Network of more than 200 private-practice attorneys accepting case referrals. All client services are provided free of charge to income-eligible Massachusetts residents.

Funding flows from more than 30 institutional foundations — including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, Klarman Family Foundation, Nord Family Foundation, Cummings Foundation, Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation, Boston Foundation, and Massachusetts Bar Foundation — supplemented by individual donations and an annual Benefit Breakfast event now in its 31st year. The organization is governed by a board that includes former Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis (a founding-era figure), the VP of Government Relations at Boston Children's Hospital (Board President Joshua Greenberg), a Hogan Lovells healthcare partner, and senior partners at Holland & Knight and Foley & Lardner, while the litigation bench is led by Andrew Kirtley. Financials are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Health Law Advocates

Legal name

Health Law Advocates, Inc.

Website

https://healthlawadvocates.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Health Law Advocates is a Boston-based 501(c)(3) public interest law firm providing free legal representation to low-income Massachusetts residents facing healthcare access barriers including insurance denials, medical debt, and children's mental health challenges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Interest Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241), Health Care and Social Assistance (62)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Health Law, Legal Counsel & Regulatory Affairs Offices (HLAJACAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Patient Advocacy, Navigation & Access to Care (BPAGACAH), Health Equity, Access & Social Determinants Programs (BPAIAJAO), Public Health & Health Equity Organizations (BPAGACAL), Health Equity, Community Health & Social Determinants Policy (HLAJAMAG), Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health Administration (BPAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Public interest law firm
• Health care access legal services
• Medical debt legal aid
• Mental health advocacy
• Immigrant health insurance assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Donations: HLA operates as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization funded primarily through grants from foundations including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, Nord Family Foundation, Klarman Family Foundation, Cummings Foundation, Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation, and over 30 other funders. Additional revenue comes from individual donations, particularly through the annual Benefit Breakfast fundraising event.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Health Law Advocates is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm that provides free legal representation to low-income Massachusetts residents facing barriers to health care access. Its services span insurance enrollment and coverage denials, medical debt elimination, children's mental health advocacy (MHAP for Kids), immigrant health care access, gender-diverse health care access, in-home care advocacy for people with disabilities, and mental health and substance use parity enforcement.

Product overview

Health Law Advocates (HLA) is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm providing free legal services to low-income Massachusetts residents. Rather than a unified software product, HLA operates as a collection of interconnected legal programs and initiatives, with its flagship being the Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids (MHAP for Kids), which embeds attorneys in Family Resource Centers statewide. The organization's services span multiple focused initiatives including the Children's Mental Health Access Project, Medical-Legal Partnership for Immigrants (MLPI), Gender-Diverse Health Care Access Project, Medical Debt Initiative, Mental Health and Substance Use Parity Initiative, Immigrant Health Care Access Initiative, Health Care Reform Defense Initiative, and Advocating for Health Care at Home. These programs are supported by the Access to Care and Coverage Practice team and a Pro Bono Legal Network of over 200 volunteer attorneys. HLA combines direct legal representation with community education, policy advocacy, and impact litigation to advance universal health care access in Massachusetts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MHAP for Kids: Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids - an innovative service helping children in or at risk of entering the juvenile court system overcome barriers to mental health care. 15 staff attorneys based at Family Resource Centers across Massachusetts.
• SDAP
• MLPI
• Mental Health and Substance Use Parity Initiative
• Medical Debt Initiative
• Gender-Diverse Health Care Access Project
• Advocating for Health Care at Home
• Health Care Reform Defense Initiative

Products and services

• Mental Health Advocacy Program for Kids (MHAP for Kids) Statewide initiative providing free legal representation to children in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system due to unmet mental health needs. MHAP for Kids embeds 15 staff attorneys at Family Resource Centers across Massachusetts to help families access mental health care, special education services, juvenile court diversion, school discipline advocacy, and health insurance coverage.
• Medical-Legal Partnership for Immigrants (MLPI)

Quantifiable outcome

• Inpatient hospitalizations reduced from 33% to 15% for children served by MHAP for Kids
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Community-Based Organizations NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Medical Debt Initiative partners include: Brazilian American Center (Framingham), Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association (Lowell), Immigrants' Assistance Center (New Bedford), Lawrence Community Works (Lawrence), The Neighborhood Developers (Chelsea), NeighborWorks Housing Solutions (Quincy), Pinnacle Partnerships (Brockton), Women Encouraging Empowerment (Revere), Urban Edge Housing Corp. (Roxbury).
• Health Care For AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHLA combines legal expertise with grassroots organizing and policy reform with Health Care For All to advance the statewide movement for universal health care access. HLA is committed to ensuring universal access to quality health care in Massachusetts, particularly for those who are most at risk.
• Boston University School of Public HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBUSPH has evaluated MHAP for Kids since 2015, conducting rigorous outcome studies demonstrating program efficacy. Released reports in 2017, 2025 (multiple), and 2026 documenting significant improvements in children's mental health outcomes and reduced state costs. Lisa Morrow serves as liaison to BUSPH.
• Family Resource Centers (Massachusetts)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMHAP for Kids attorneys are based at 15 Family Resource Centers across Massachusetts serving families in every county. Attorneys are embedded in FRCs and work closely with FRC staff. BUSPH surveyed FRC staff on their collaboration with MHAP for Kids attorneys.
• Children's Mental Health CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHLA is a founding and executive committee member of the Children's Mental Health Campaign, a statewide coalition of families, providers, advocates and educators dedicated to advancing public policies that improve behavioral health care for children. Has more than 130 supporting organizations.
• Massachusetts Mental Health and Substance Use Parity CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHLA leads the Massachusetts Mental Health and Substance Use Parity Coalition consisting of more than a dozen consumer and health care provider advocacy groups that fight for non-discriminatory insurance coverage. Coalition won enactment of 2012 state law requiring DOI and MassHealth regulations.
• Massachusetts Transgender Health CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHLA is a proud founding member of the Massachusetts Transgender Health Coalition which promotes policy reforms to improve health care access for gender-diverse people and builds community knowledge about gender-diverse health access issues.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Children's Law Center of Massachusetts: A specialized public interest law firm representing children in education and family law matters in Massachusetts, with overlapping staff pedigree (Lisa Morrow was a staff attorney at CLC) and similar justice-oriented mission in children's advocacy.
• Massachusetts Law Reform Institute (MLRI): MLRI is a statewide Massachusetts public interest law and policy organization advancing economic, racial, and social justice through impact litigation and legislative advocacy, overlapping with HLA's Massachusetts health-equity policy work.
• National Consumer Law Center (NCLC): NCLC is a national public interest law firm specializing in consumer issues including medical debt and insurance, with deep impact litigation experience - HLA's Litigation Director and Access to Justice Fellow both came from NCLC, indicating direct operational overlap.
• National Health Law Program (NHeLP): NHeLP is a national public interest law firm dedicated to improving health care access for low-income and underserved populations through litigation, policy advocacy, and education, paralleling HLA's integrated legal-policy model at a national scale.
• Health Law Unit, The Legal Aid Society: The Legal Aid Society's Health Law Unit in New York provides free legal services to low-income residents facing health care access barriers, including insurance denials, medical debt, and benefits issues. It is the most direct geographic-functional analog to HLA outside Massachusetts.
• Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI): Based at Harvard Law School, CHLPI uses legal and policy tools to advance health care access and food security for low-income populations in the Northeast, mirroring HLA's health-law-plus-policy approach and serving similar vulnerable demographics.
• Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS): GBLS is the largest provider of free civil legal aid in the Boston area, serving low-income residents across multiple practice areas including health care. It shares HLA's pro bono model and similar client demographics.

Broad incumbents

• Justice in Aging: Justice in Aging is a national legal advocacy organization fighting senior poverty through health care and economic security programs. It operates at national scale in a closely adjacent health-law-plus-policy space as HLA.

Peers

• Health Care For All (Massachusetts):

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/healthlawadvocates
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/health-law-advocates
• Instagraminstagram.com/healthlawadvocates
• Xx.com/HLAMass

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Health Law Advocates