Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

What Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County does

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County (LASSMC / Legal Aid SMC) is a California-certified nonprofit law firm founded in 1959/1960 (per different sources) and headquartered at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits in Redwood City. It provides free, confidential civil legal services to low-income residents of San Mateo County across seven core programs: the Health Consumer Center (healthcare coverage, medical debt, Medi-Cal issues, an affiliate of the Health Consumer Alliance), the HomeSavers Project (tenant rights and eviction defense, funded by the County and four cities), the Peninsula Family Advocacy Program (medical-legal partnership for low-income families of disabled children, co-funded with Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford), the LIBRE Program (immigrant outreach, benefits enrollment, and limited representation including VAWA/U Visa/SIJS, delivered via satellite assistor sites at Fair Oaks Community Center, Nuestra Casa in East Palo Alto, and Coastside Hope in Half Moon Bay), the Teen Parents' Project, the Elder & Disability Rights program, and a Pro Bono program that mobilizes private volunteer attorneys. Client reach is delivered through main-office intake, weekly housing clinics, a toll-free line, Relay services, virtual consultations, and partner referrals from schools, hospitals, faith-based groups, and county agencies.

The organization's revenue model is a hybrid nonprofit stack with no client fees: foundation and grant funding from Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Heising-Simons Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Northern California Community Benefit, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, First Five San Mateo County, and the Grove Foundation; government contracts and grants from the County of San Mateo (including a $764,000 removal defense contract), the cities of Daly City, Menlo Park, San Mateo, and South San Francisco, the State Bar of California Legal Services Trust Fund, the California Department of Managed Health Care, and the Department of Health Care Services; individual donations and planned giving/bequests (Federal Tax ID 94-1451894); in-kind pro bono attorney services valued as funding equivalents; and corporate sponsorships through events such as the annual FallFest fundraiser and (historically) the Golf Classic, which was discontinued after 30 years. The go-to-market is sales-led nonprofit: clients access services via direct intake, partner referrals, and outreach, with no pricing tier or per-service fees. Underlying technology is described only as a generic "legal services delivery platform"; no proprietary AI, automation, or productized technology assets are disclosed, and service delivery is attorney-staff-intensive.

2025 operational output included over 1,900 cases opened, 85+ evictions stopped, 700+ households with children supported, and over $2.5M saved/recovered for clients. The organization employs 11–50 staff, maintains a Board of Directors (with Bill Freeman as Secretary and Assad Rajani as Board President and pro bono attorney), is led by Executive Director Stacey Hawver and Deputy Director Allison Marseille, and has earned the California Nonprofit of the Year recognition (2025), the Candid Seal (2026), a Charity Navigator Four-Star Rating, and the State Bar of California DEI Leadership Silver Seal (2024).

Name

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

Legal name

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County

Website

https://legalaidsmc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

Keywords

• Civil legal services
• Legal aid nonprofit
• Tenant legal services
• Immigration legal services
• Healthcare consumer advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Redwood City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Grant Funding: The organization receives funding from foundations including Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Heising-Simons Foundation, Kaiser Permanente, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and others for specific program areas such as LIBRE, Health Consumer Center, and Peninsula Family Advocacy Program.
2. Government Contracts and Grants: Funding from local government (San Mateo County, cities of Daly City, Menlo Park, San Mateo, South San Francisco), state agencies (State Bar of California Legal Services Trust Fund, California Department of Managed Health Care, Department of Health Care Services), and federal programs.
3. Individual Donations and Pro Bono Support: The organization receives charitable donations from individuals, pro bono attorney services valued at equivalent of funding, and corporate sponsors for events like the annual FallFest fundraiser and Golf Classic.
4. Planned Giving and Bequests: The organization accepts planned gifts and bequests from donors who include Legal Aid SMC in their wills or estate plans, with Federal Tax ID 94-1451894.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is a nonprofit law firm that provides free civil legal services to low-income residents of San Mateo County across housing, healthcare, immigration, domestic violence, public benefits, special education, elder and disability rights, and teen parent matters. Services are delivered through specialized programs (HomeSavers, Health Consumer Center, LIBRE, Peninsula Family Advocacy Program, Teen Parents' Project, Elder & Disability Rights) and staffed by attorneys and pro bono volunteers at no cost to qualifying clients.

Product overview

The Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County is a nonprofit law firm providing civil legal services to low-income residents through multiple specialized programs. The organization operates a platform-plus-programs model with core service lines including the Health Consumer Center (healthcare navigation), HomeSavers Project (tenant advocacy), Peninsula Family Advocacy Program (medical-legal partnership for disabled children), LIBRE Program (immigrant services), Teen Parents' Project, Elder & Disability Rights, and Pro Bono Programs. These programs are complemented by supporting fellowship opportunities and community resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Health Consumer Center Helps low-income San Mateo County residents navigate the healthcare system by providing information, advice, and representation on health insurance issues, medical service denials, and significant medical debt. Operates as an affiliate of the Health Consumer Alliance.
• HomeSavers Project Tenant legal services program offering counseling, advice, and representation for problems with landlords, including eviction defense, habitability disputes, and illegal landlord acts. Operates weekly housing clinics in Redwood City and Daly City.
• Peninsula Family Advocacy Program (FAP) Medical-legal partnership providing free legal services to low-income disabled children and their families, addressing health insurance, medical care access, special education, and disability benefits such as IHSS, SSI, and CAPI.
• LIBRE Program Linking Immigrants to Benefits, Resources & Education - a collaborative program serving San Mateo County immigrant communities that provides education about safety net services, connects immigrants to agencies for enrollment assistance, and offers limited immigration representation including VAWA, U Visa, and SIJS.
• Teen Parents' Project Helps pregnant or parenting teens resolve legal issues including child custody, restraining orders, child support, public benefits, school problems, and immigration options such as U Visas, DACA, and SIJS.
• Elder & Disability Rights Program Provides legal services to seniors and individuals with disabilities, including elder abuse protection (e.g., restraining orders), housing assistance, navigating government benefit programs, and CARE Court representation in partnership with NAMI San Mateo.
• Carl L. McConnell Fellowship A paid summer fellowship opportunity for first or second-year law students to work with Legal Aid SMC's program teams. Includes a Post Fellowship Sponsorship program for law students and recent graduates.
• Pro Bono Programs Volunteer attorney programs connecting private attorneys with clients needing legal assistance, including training, clinics, and limited scope representation opportunities across housing, health, immigration, family, and elder law practice areas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Opened over 1,900 cases in 2025 to help families access social safety net services
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 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.

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) San MateocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 March 2026Collaboration on CARE Court education events. Attorneys Brian Fraser and Camille Nguyen teamed up with NAMI to explain CARE Court basics including eligibility, court process, and how the approach is working in San Mateo County.
• Faith in Action Bay AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration through the Rapid Response Hotline for immigration enforcement incidents. LIBRE program partners on Know Your Rights presentations and community education. Rapid Response Hotline number: 1-203-666-4472.
• Redwood City TogethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative involving 8 public and nonprofit organizations serving children, youth and families in Redwood City and unincorporated North Fair Oaks. Part of LIBRE program consortium.
• Nuestra CasacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity education organization serving East Palo Alto and Ravenswood City School District area. Provides assistor location for LIBRE program at 2396 University Ave, East Palo Alto.
• Coastside HopecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore Service Center serving El Granada, Half Moon Bay, Miramar, Montara, and Moss Beach. Provides assistor location for LIBRE program at 248 Main St #200, Half Moon Bay.
• San Mateo County Human Services AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic agency administering federal and state-mandated social services programs. Part of LIBRE program consortium providing pathway for benefits enrollment.
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through CRISP and San Mateo County Removal Defense Collaboratives. ILRC was featured in New York Times for distributing 9 million Red Cards to help immigrant families understand and assert their rights.
• Catholic Charities San FranciscocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRemoval Defense Partner providing immigration legal services. Also provides immigration representation and assistance in San Mateo County.
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRemoval Defense Partner and collaborative organization providing immigration legal services in East Palo Alto.
• University of San Francisco School of Law Immigration and Deportation Defense ClinicminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRemoval Defense Partner providing half-time attorney services, particularly serving Pescadero and Half Moon Bay coastside areas.
• Pangea Legal ServicesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerRemoval Defense Partner providing immigration legal services in San Mateo County.
• Community GatepathminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner that connected medically fragile child case to Legal Aid's Peninsula Family Advocacy Program.
• Health Consumer AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide collective of consumer assistance programs operated by community-based legal services organizations working to help Californians obtain essential health care. HCC is an affiliate.
• Health Plan of San MateocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerManaged care plan for Medi-Cal recipients in the county. Funding supporter of Health Consumer Center.
• Asian Pacific Islander Legal OutreachminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdded one full-time attorney through county deportation defense contract to serve North San Mateo County, particularly the Filipino community and speakers of Asian languages.
• International Institute of the Bay AreaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAdded one full-time attorney through county deportation defense contract.
• Western Center on Law & PovertycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided guidance to HCC attorneys and hospital staff on bringing financial assistance programs into compliance with state law.
• Lucile Packard Children's Hospital StanfordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of Peninsula Family Advocacy Program and collaborative partner for medical-legal partnership services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• National Legal Aid & Defender Association: NLADA is the national membership and advocacy organization for civil legal aid and public defense providers; not a direct competitor but a peer ecosystem body for Legal Aid SMC's sector.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Society (New York): The nation's largest legal aid organization, providing civil and criminal legal services across New York City—comparable mission but operating at vastly greater scale and scope.
• Public Counsel: Public Counsel is a larger pro bono law firm and charitable organization providing free legal services across many practice areas in Southern California—comparable mission and scope but at a larger scale.

Direct peers

• Bay Area Legal Aid: Bay Area Legal Aid is a direct peer providing free civil legal services to low-income residents across multiple Bay Area counties, including housing, public benefits, and immigration—closely matching Legal Aid SMC's service model and target population.
• Law Foundation of Silicon Valley: Law Foundation of Silicon Valley is a direct peer providing free legal services in nearby Santa Clara County with overlapping practice areas (housing, health, immigration), making it the closest geographic and functional comparator.
• Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto (CLSEPA): CLSEPA is a direct peer providing free legal services to low-income East Palo Alto residents, including immigration and housing—and is already a Legal Aid SMC removal defense partner.
• Inner City Law Center: Inner City Law Center is a direct peer providing free civil legal services to low-income Los Angeles residents with similar housing, immigration, and homelessness prevention focus.
• California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA): CRLA is a direct peer providing free civil legal services to low-income rural Californians in housing, education, employment, and immigration—same service model, geographic complement rather than overlap.

Regional players

• Asian Law Caucus: Asian Law Caucus provides free legal services and advocacy for Asian American and immigrant communities in the San Francisco Bay Area—overlapping immigrant-rights focus with Legal Aid SMC's LIBRE program.

Emerging players

• Justice in Aging: Justice in Aging is a national nonprofit legal advocacy organization focused on elder rights—comparable to Legal Aid SMC's Elder & Disability Rights program but operating at the policy/advocacy level rather than direct service.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheLIBREProject
• Instagraminstagram.com/thelibreproject/?hl=en
• Xx.com/LegalAidSMC

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County