JusticeMatters
JusticeMatters is a North Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm providing free, trauma-informed legal services in family law and humanitarian immigration to survivors of human trafficking, at-risk immigrants, and kinship caregivers across the state.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersDurham, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What JusticeMatters does
JusticeMatters, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm founded in 2009 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, with a second office in Raleigh and a co-located Pro Se Center at the Durham County Courthouse. The organization provides free, trauma-informed legal services to survivors of human trafficking and individuals at heightened risk of exploitation, including at-risk immigrants, kinship caregivers, and other vulnerable populations. Its core service lines are family law (with a specialization in child custody for kinship caregivers), humanitarian immigration law (T Visas, U Visas, VAWA Self-Petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status, and Asylum/Withholding of Removal), and victim/survivor rights representation, supplemented by a wraparound Client Support Services program and a Training and Education Services line that has instructed over 3,000 professionals in the past five years.
The underlying service platform is not a software product but a methodological framework: since 2011 JusticeMatters has integrated trauma-informed care principles (safety, trustworthiness, transparency, collaboration, empowerment, and choice) into legal practice, formalized through a 2020-2023 partnership with Greenleaf Integrative and institutional training led by the Managing Attorney, Cheryl Chew. The team comprises 16 staff from five countries and one territory (nine biliterate), including 11 attorneys and paralegals, and is led by Founder and Executive Director Libby Magee Coles, Esq., with Laura Helton serving as Interim Executive Director during a 2023 leadership transition.
JusticeMatters is funded primarily through grants (60% of FY2022 revenue) and contributions (39%), with 1% earned income, and reported FY2022 revenue of $1,340,504.64 against expenses of $1,317,255.11. Services are provided at no charge to eligible North Carolina residents, with clients accessing the organization through a phone intake line, referral networks in law enforcement, social services, and courts, and outreach via training and speaking engagements. The organization has articulated a ten-year strategic goal to serve 5,000 individuals annually by 2032, up from 575 clients served in FY2022.
JusticeMatters firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JusticeMatters
- Legal name
- JusticeMatters, Inc.
- Website
- https://justicemattersnc.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- JusticeMatters is a North Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm providing free, trauma-informed legal services in family law and humanitarian immigration to survivors of human trafficking, at-risk immigrants, and kinship caregivers across the state.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JusticeMatters industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Legal Aid Services
- NAICS
- Offices of Lawyers (54111), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System) (BPAIAFAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)
Keywords
Where JusticeMatters is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durham
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
JusticeMatters business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Individual and Corporate Donations: JusticeMatters relies on donations from individuals and organizations to fund operations. Corporate sponsors including Harris Beverages and WingSwept participated in matching challenges. The organization accepts stock and securities through Fidelity Investments and the National Christian Foundation (NCF).
- Grant Funding: Government and foundation grants comprise the majority of revenue. FY2022 financials show 60% of revenue came from grants, including funding from NC Bar Association Foundation, NC Governor's Crime Commission, and City of Durham.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
JusticeMatters product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JusticeMatters is a nonprofit law firm providing free, trauma-informed legal services to survivors of human trafficking, at-risk immigrants, and kinship caregivers across North Carolina. Its core offerings include family law (child custody for kinship caregivers), humanitarian immigration law (T Visas, U Visas, VAWA, SIJS, Asylum/Withholding of Removal), victim/survivor rights representation, and wraparound client support services. Supplementary programs include a Pro Se Center at the Durham County Courthouse, the Durham Immigrant Legal Assistance Program (ILAP), and professional training and advocacy.
Product overview
JusticeMatters operates as a nonprofit law firm providing free, trauma-informed legal services and advocacy. The organization offers a unified portfolio of legal service programs centered around addressing human trafficking: Legal Services (family law, immigration law, victim rights), the Pro Se Center (limited representation for self-represented litigants), the Durham Immigrant Legal Assistance Program (ILAP), Client Support Services (wraparound advocacy), and Training and Education Services. These programs are designed to work together holistically, with legal services addressing immediate client needs while support services provide broader assistance for housing, medical care, and employment.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Trauma-Informed Legal Services Free trauma-informed legal representation in family law and humanitarian immigration matters for survivors of human trafficking, at-risk immigrants, and kinship caregivers in North Carolina.
- Pro Se Center Limited legal representation service offering one-time consultations to self-represented individuals with child custody issues, operating in the Durham County Courthouse Family Court Suite.
- Durham Immigrant Legal Assistance Program (ILAP) Free legal screenings, consultations, and representation for immigration relief and removal defense to Durham County residents, funded by the City of Durham.
- Training and Education Services Professional training and speakers providing education on human trafficking and trauma-informed legal representation to lawyers, law enforcement, and social service providers.
- Client Support Services Wraparound care including safety planning, resource identification, appointment advocacy, and connection to trusted partner organizations for survivors.
Quantifiable outcome
- Served 575 clients and responded to 1,158 calls in FY2022
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use JusticeMatters
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
JusticeMatters technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
JusticeMatters partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- City of DurhamcorePartnership to fund the Durham Immigrant Legal Assistance Program (ILAP), providing free legal screenings, consultations, and representation for immigration relief and removal defense to Durham County residents. Launched in 2021 to promote equity in access to legal relief.
- Greenleaf IntegrativecoreThree-year partnership (embarked year two during FY2022) to implement trauma-informed design for the well-being of both clients and staff, including executive coaching and staff psychoeducation.
- Durham CountycoreDurham County Community Child Protection Team (CCPT) and Child Fatality Prevention Team (CFPT), with JM's Family Law Section lead serving as Chair since 2015.
- Duke Law SchoolminorPost-graduate legal fellowship program hosting Mary Beth Reed (Duke Law '21) to expand services for undocumented children under the Special Immigrant Juvenile Status Project.
Scale indicators13 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
JusticeMatters competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Legal Aid of North Carolina: Legal Aid of North Carolina is the statewide legal aid provider offering civil legal services across many practice areas. It is a broad incumbent in the same geographic territory, serving low-income North Carolinians including immigrants, though not specializing in human trafficking.
- Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC): CLINIC is a national nonprofit that supports a network of immigration legal services programs and provides training and capacity building. Comparable to JusticeMatters as a funder/peer in the immigration legal aid ecosystem, but operates at a much broader scale as an infrastructure body.
- Polaris Project: Polaris Project is a leading national anti-trafficking organization operating the National Human Trafficking Hotline and advocating for policy reform. A broad incumbent in the human-trafficking countermeasure space that JusticeMatters explicitly helps feed via referrals.
Direct peers
- CASA: CASA is a regional nonprofit providing immigration legal aid and education across the mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Comparable to JusticeMatters as a nonprofit serving immigrants with free or low-cost legal representation, including asylum and humanitarian relief.
- Tahirih Justice Center: Tahirih Justice Center is a national nonprofit providing direct legal services and advocacy for immigrant survivors of gender-based violence and trafficking. Directly comparable to JusticeMatters as a nonprofit law firm offering trauma-informed immigration and victim-rights representation.
- Ayuda: Ayuda is a Washington DC-area nonprofit providing legal, social, and language-access services to immigrants, including trafficking survivors. Directly comparable business model (free immigration legal services, wraparound support, grants/donations revenue mix).
- North Carolina Justice Center: North Carolina Justice Center runs the Immigrant and Refugee Rights Project and was the prior employer of JusticeMatters' Managing Attorney Cheryl Chew. It is a direct peer offering immigration legal aid in North Carolina to vulnerable populations.
- Sanctuary for Families: Sanctuary for Families is a NYC-based nonprofit providing legal and social services to survivors of trafficking and domestic violence. It is a direct peer along service mix (trauma-informed immigration + family law for survivors), funding model (grants + donations), and client population.
Regional players
- Catholic Charities Diocese of Raleigh: Catholic Charities Diocese of Raleigh serves eastern North Carolina with refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and anti-trafficking programs. A regional peer in the same geography offering overlapping humanitarian immigration and victim services.
Emerging players
- Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC): ILRC is a national nonprofit providing training, technical assistance, and resources to immigrant legal service providers. Comparable to JusticeMatters via shared immigration legal aid mission and training-of-professionals activities, though ILRC is more training/advocacy-led than direct-service-led.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JusticeMatters social profiles
Digital presenceJusticeMatters financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JusticeMatters leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
JusticeMatters funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JusticeMatters M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about JusticeMatters
What does JusticeMatters do?
JusticeMatters is a nonprofit law firm providing free, trauma-informed legal services to survivors of human trafficking, at-risk immigrants, and kinship caregivers across North Carolina. Its core offerings include family law (child custody for kinship caregivers), humanitarian immigration law (T Visas, U Visas, VAWA, SIJS, Asylum/Withholding of Removal), victim/survivor rights representation, and wraparound client support services. Supplementary programs include a Pro Se Center at the Durham County Courthouse, the Durham Immigrant Legal Assistance Program (ILAP), and professional training and advocacy.
Is JusticeMatters a public or private company?
JusticeMatters is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was JusticeMatters founded?
JusticeMatters was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is JusticeMatters based?
JusticeMatters is headquartered in Durham, United States, in the North America region.
How does JusticeMatters make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual and Corporate Donations are the primary driver. The others are grant Funding.
Who are JusticeMatters's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Legal Aid of North Carolina, Catholic Legal Immigration Network (CLINIC) and Polaris Project. Direct peers are CASA, Tahirih Justice Center, Ayuda, North Carolina Justice Center and Sanctuary for Families. Catholic Charities Diocese of Raleigh is listed as a regional player. Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) is listed as an emerging player.
Does JusticeMatters have an API?
No public API is recorded for JusticeMatters.
What industry is JusticeMatters in?
JusticeMatters's product category is Legal Aid Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIAFAJ, Victim Services & Witness Assistance (Justice System), with a secondary code of BPAIAFAC, Public Defense & Legal Aid Services. Its NAICS code is 54111 and its SIC code is 8111.