Community Legal Services

What Community Legal Services does

Community Legal Services, Inc. (CLS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal aid organization incorporated in 1952 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Originally organized as the Maricopa County Legal Society (MCLAS), CLS today operates as Arizona's largest legal aid organization, serving individuals and families living at or below 125% of the federal poverty level (with flexibility up to 200% for those with fixed expenses) across five counties: Maricopa, La Paz, Yuma, Mohave, and Yavapai. Services are provided entirely at no cost to eligible clients.

CLS delivers civil legal aid through nine practice areas — Housing Law, Family Law (with a focus on domestic violence and child safety), Employment Law, Consumer Law, Health and Economic Stability (AHCCCS, SNAP, SSD), a statewide Farmworker Program, a Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, Domestic Violence Services, and Set Aside Clinics (criminal record clearing and rights restoration) — supplemented by four support programs: the Volunteer Lawyers Program, the Library Kiosk Program (self-service legal kiosks in libraries across four counties), the Family Lawyers Assistance Project (FLAP) at Maricopa County Superior Courts, and COVID-19 Legal Resources. Bilingual staff and translators cover all languages.

The underlying technology layer is modest: a third-party online intake system delivered through the AZLawHelp portal (a partnership with the Arizona Bar Foundation), self-service kiosks in libraries offering forms, document printing/scanning, and video-meeting capabilities with attorneys or courts, plus standard productivity tools. No proprietary AI/ML or API products are disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led in the nonprofit sense: multi-channel outreach via phone, online application, walk-in hours at regional offices and satellite locations (Peoria, Native Health, MesaCAN), community events, agency referrals (DES, AHCCCS, courts), and earned media (USA Today, KJZZ, Arizona Republic). Revenue is composed of LSC federal grants, United Way contributions, individual donations and bequests (with Arizona Charitable Tax Credit eligibility under Code 20534), and cy pres awards — figures are not publicly disclosed. Governance is via a Board of Directors including officers, executive committee members, and client board representatives, with executive leadership led by Executive Director Sharon Sergent.

Name

Community Legal Services

Legal name

Community Legal Services, Inc.

Website

https://clsaz.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK), Community Centers & Neighborhood Support Services (BPAGAEAL)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Legal services
• Housing law assistance
• Consumer law services
• Nonprofit legal aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Federal Funding (Legal Services Corporation): CLS receives federal funding from the Legal Services Corporation (LSC), created by Congress to distribute federal funds to legal aid programs across the country.
2. United Way / Community Funding: Funding from sources such as the United Way (formerly Red Feather Society) and other community organizations.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual donations, planned giving, bequests, and Arizona Charitable Tax Credit eligible donations (Code 20534). CLS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with Tax ID 86-0166615.
4. Cy Pres Awards: Undistributed settlement funds from class action settlements awarded by courts to CLS to help close the justice gap.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Community Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal aid organization that provides free civil legal aid to low-income Arizonans living at or below 125% of the federal poverty level. The organization delivers legal representation, advice, and self-help resources across multiple practice areas including housing, family law, employment, consumer protection, healthcare, public benefits, farmworker rights, and tax matters, operating through five Arizona counties.

Product overview

Community Legal Services (CLS) is a nonprofit legal aid organization offering a portfolio of civil legal services to low-income Arizonans, not a technology product company. The organization's service offering consists of multiple legal practice areas delivered through direct legal representation, brief service, legal advice, community education, and self-help resources. Core services include Civil Legal Aid as the primary offering, with specialized legal practice areas covering Housing Law, Family Law, Employment Law, Consumer Law, Health and Economic Stability, Farmworker Program, Tax Program (LITC), Domestic Violence Services, and Set Aside Clinics. Supporting programs include the Volunteer Lawyers Program, Kiosk Project for self-service legal access, Family Lawyers Assistance Project (FLAP), Healthcare Legal Services, SNAP Services, Social Security Disability Services, Unemployment Insurance Services, and COVID-19 Legal Resources. Services are provided across five Arizona counties (Maricopa, La Paz, Yuma, Mohave, and Yavapai) through multiple office locations, with additional access via phone, online application through AZLawHelp partner portal, and community kiosk locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Legal Aid Services
• Housing Law Services
• Family Law Services
• Employment Law Services
• Consumer Law Services
• Health and Economic Stability Services
• Farmworker Program
• Low Income Taxpayer Clinic (Tax Program)
• Domestic Violence Services
• Set Aside Clinics
• Volunteer Lawyers Program
• Kiosk Project
• Family Lawyers Assistance Project (FLAP)

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of thousands of legal hours of staff and pro bono legal assistance provided
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arizona Bar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAZLawHelp is a project of the Arizona Bar Foundation in partnership with CLS and other Arizona legal service organizations. Provides the online intake system for civil legal aid services.
• Maricopa County Superior CourtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Maricopa County Superior Courts for Family Lawyers Assistance Project (FLAP), providing volunteer attorney appointments at court locations for pro per litigants.
• Maricopa County Library DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with library system to host legal kiosk locations providing self-service legal assistance, document handling, and video meeting capabilities with lawyers and courts.
• Yavapai County LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibraries hosting CLS legal kiosks for community access to legal information and services in Yavapai County.
• La Paz County LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibraries hosting CLS legal kiosks for community access in La Paz County.
• Mohave County LibrariesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLibraries hosting CLS legal kiosks for community access in Mohave County.
• Arizona Department of RevenueminorOthersCLS is listed as a Qualified Charitable Organization (Code 20534) enabling donors to claim Arizona state tax credits for donations.
• Native HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Native Health organization providing satellite office hours for legal services at their Phoenix location.
• MesaCANminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MesaCAN community center providing satellite office hours for legal services in Mesa.
• Peoria Resource CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Peoria Resource Center providing satellite office hours for legal services.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Southern Arizona Legal Aid: Provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents of southern Arizona across similar practice areas (housing, family, consumer). Directly comparable as an LSC-funded Arizona legal aid peer serving a complementary region of the same state.
• DNA - People's Legal Services: An LSC-funded legal aid organization serving Native American communities across Arizona and surrounding states. Comparable as a nonprofit legal aid peer with overlapping federal funding, Native community focus, and civil practice areas.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: One of the largest LSC-funded civil legal aid organizations in California, providing free services across housing, family, consumer, and public benefits. Comparable in scale, funding model, and practice area mix to CLS.
• Lone Star Legal Aid: Large LSC-funded legal aid serving low-income Texans across a multi-county service area with similar practice areas (housing, family, consumer, employment). Comparable as a large regional civil legal aid peer.
• Northwest Justice Project: LSC-funded statewide legal aid serving low-income residents of Washington State with civil legal services. Comparable as a multi-county nonprofit legal aid peer with similar funding structure and mission.
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents of metropolitan Atlanta across housing, family, consumer, and public benefits. Comparable as a regional nonprofit legal aid peer with similar practice mix and funding model.

Regional players

• Arizona Legal Aid: Statewide portal and provider network connecting low-income Arizonans with civil legal aid, including through the AZLawHelp intake system CLS also uses. Comparable as a regional access-to-justice infrastructure peer.

Broad incumbents

• The Legal Aid Society (NYC): The nation's oldest and largest legal aid organization, providing civil and criminal defense services across New York City. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the legal aid space with similar funding model and practice areas.

Others

• Pro Bono Net: National nonprofit that builds technology and resource platforms connecting low-income clients with volunteer lawyers. Comparable as an adjacent enabling organization supporting the same pro bono legal aid ecosystem CLS engages in.

Emerging players

• Justice in Aging: National nonprofit legal advocacy organization focused on elder rights, including SSI, Medicaid, and elder law. Comparable as an adjacent specialized legal services peer with overlapping public benefits practice area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@communitylegalaz
• Facebookfacebook.com/communitylegalservicesarizona
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/community-legal-services-of-arizona
• Instagraminstagram.com/clsarizona
• Xx.com/CLSArizona

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Community Legal Services