Rhode Island Legal Services

What Rhode Island Legal Services does

Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc. (RILS) is a private non-profit civil law firm founded in 1970 and headquartered at 56 Pine Street in Providence, Rhode Island, with a satellite office at 50 Washington Square in Newport. It is Rhode Island's oldest non-profit civil law firm, providing free legal representation to low-income individuals and eligible client groups across the state with the stated mission of protecting legal rights, stabilizing families and communities, promoting self-reliance, and ending domestic violence. The organization operates 12 distinct program areas covering public benefits, housing stability, foreclosure prevention, low-income tax issues, family preservation, domestic violence, consumer debt, responsible parenthood, volunteer lawyer coordination, elder protection, education and employment law, and veteran services, supplemented by a publications library of English and Spanish self-help documents.

RILS generates revenue from three primary streams: federal Legal Services Corporation grants as the core funding source, charitable donations processed through the ClickandPledge platform, and cy pres awards derived from unclaimed class action settlement funds. All legal work is conducted under the restrictions of the LSC Act as a condition of federal funding. The organization has no proprietary technology platform; its technical footprint consists of a public website (rils.org), an online client intake application, and downloadable self-help publications.

The customer base spans five persona segments including low-income individuals and families as the primary segment, plus veterans (homeless or at risk for homelessness), students and parents facing public education issues, elderly individuals facing abuse or exploitation, and victims of domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. Distribution is direct via the two physical offices and a published monthly community outreach calendar, with formal case referrals channeled through the Rhode Island Family Court and the Department of Children, Youth and Families for specific programs, and co-funded volunteer capacity provided through the Rhode Island Bar Association's Volunteer Lawyer Program. RILS is led by Executive Director Robert M. Barge.

Name

Rhode Island Legal Services

Legal name

Rhode Island Legal Services, Inc.

Website

https://rils.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rhode Island Legal Services is the state's oldest non-profit civil law firm, founded in 1970, providing free legal representation to low-income individuals and eligible client groups across 12 practice areas including housing, family law, public benefits, education, and veteran services through offices in Providence and Newport.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Corporation (LSC) Funding: RILS is funded in part by the Legal Services Corporation, a federally mandated nonprofit that provides funding to legal aid organizations. This is the primary funding source as a condition of LSC funding restrictions apply to all legal work.
2. Donations: RILS accepts charitable donations through its website (clickandpledge platform) to support its mission of providing free legal services to low-income Rhode Island residents.
3. Cy Pres Awards: As Rhode Island's oldest non-profit civil law firm with over 50 years of service, RILS receives cy pres awards from class action settlements where unclaimed funds are directed to nonprofit legal organizations serving the public interest.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Rhode Island Legal Services is a non-profit civil law firm that provides free legal assistance, representation, and advocacy to low-income individuals and eligible client groups across Rhode Island. It delivers services through 12 program areas covering housing stability, foreclosure prevention, public benefits, family law (including domestic violence and family preservation), consumer debt, low-income taxpayer issues, education and employment, elder protection, and veterans legal services. The organization is funded primarily by the federal Legal Services Corporation, supplemented by donations and cy pres awards, and does not charge clients for any of its services.

Product overview

Rhode Island Legal Services operates as a non-profit civil law firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of legal services organized into distinct program areas. The organization provides 12 core legal service programs covering public benefits, housing stability, foreclosure prevention, tax issues, family preservation, consumer debt, veteran services, elder protection, education and employment law, and volunteer lawyer coordination. These programs work together to provide free legal representation to low-income Rhode Islanders, combining direct legal services, litigation, and community education to address barriers to justice.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Benefits Group Legal assistance to prevent loss of income and to obtain and preserve Medical Assistance and Medicaid benefits for eligible clients, including community advocacy and representation in denials or terminations of government benefits in administrative tribunals and appellate courts.
• Housing Stability Project Legal services focused on preventing homelessness, creating affordable housing opportunities, ending housing discrimination, and providing eviction defense including rapid re-housing and representation in public and subsidized housing evictions.
• Foreclosure Prevention Project Counseling and legal representation to homeowners facing foreclosure, as well as tenants in foreclosed properties, including loan modification assistance, bankruptcy representation, predatory lending alerts, and bank settlement negotiations.
• Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Legal assistance to low-income taxpayers with IRS tax problems including earned income tax credit issues, collection problems, audits, and wage attachments or levies.
• Family Preservation Project Legal representation for parents facing involuntary termination of parental rights or allegations of abuse, neglect, or dependency brought by the Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and Families through the Family Court system.
• Safe Family Project Legal assistance to stop domestic violence, stop stalking, and support sexual assault victims.
• Consumer Debt Group Legal help for clients to reduce credit card debt and gain financial stability and a fresh start.
• Responsible Parent Project Legal assistance to help parents meet their child support responsibilities in a fair and equitable manner, with cases referred by the Rhode Island Family Court.
• Volunteer Lawyer Program Collaboration with the Rhode Island Bar Association to fund and support volunteer legal services, accessible by calling (401) 421-7758.
• Elder Protection Project Legal help for elders facing physical and mental abuse, abandonment, neglect, and financial exploitation.
• Education and Employment Law Group Advocacy and representation to improve quality of public education for low-income students, addressing inappropriate education, special education, bilingual and vocational education problems, and school discipline and residency issues, as well as employment law matters.
• Legal Services For Veterans Project Comprehensive legal assistance to eligible veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness pursuant to 38 CFR § 79.15, covering child support, divorce and custody, bankruptcy, housing, collection, public benefits, expungement, employment and tax matters.
• Cy Pres Program Program allowing RILS to receive unallocated or unclaimed funds from class action settlements to support access to justice initiatives in employment, housing, financial stability, benefits, domestic violence, education, tax, elder and veteran protection.
• Publications Library Downloadable self-help legal documents including guides on special education, foreclosure facts, tenant rights, eviction processes, security deposits, and restraining orders in English and Spanish.

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Rhode Island Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRILS collaborates with the Rhode Island Bar Association to fund and support the Volunteer Lawyer Program, which connects volunteer attorneys with clients needing legal assistance.
• Rhode Island Family CourtcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Responsible Parent Project and Family Preservation Project require court referrals from the Rhode Island Family Court, creating a formal referral partnership for specific case types.
• Rhode Island Department of Children, Youth and FamiliescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Family Preservation Project represents parents in cases involving allegations of abuse, neglect, or dependency brought by DCYF against parents, working within the Rhode Island Family Court system.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• New Hampshire Legal Aid: LSC-funded civil legal aid provider for New Hampshire low-income residents. Comparable across funding source, practice area breadth, and client demographic.
• Greater Boston Legal Services: LSC-funded legal aid organization serving low-income residents of Greater Boston. Directly comparable in structure, client base, and federal funding mechanics, though operating in a neighboring state.
• Connecticut Legal Services: Statewide LSC-funded legal aid program in Connecticut serving low-income individuals across housing, family, consumer, and benefits matters. Direct functional parallel to RILS in a neighboring New England state.
• Pine Tree Legal Assistance: LSC-funded legal aid organization serving low-income Mainers. Comparable model (statewide, multi-program, court-referred cases) and a peer among New England legal aid providers.

Direct peers

• Neighborhood Legal Services (Los Angeles): LSC-funded nonprofit providing free civil legal aid to low-income individuals in Los Angeles County. Closely comparable in mission, LSC funding model, and program breadth covering housing, public benefits, and family law.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina: Statewide LSC-funded civil legal aid program in North Carolina offering multi-program services to low-income clients. Closely comparable in geographic footprint, federal funding structure, and program breadth.
• South Carolina Legal Services: LSC-funded statewide civil legal aid organization serving low-income South Carolinians. Comparable in practice areas (housing, family, public benefits), funding model, and statewide outreach approach.
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid: LSC-funded nonprofit providing free civil legal help to low-income Minnesotans. Comparable in practice area breadth, federal funding base, and statewide service model.
• Maryland Legal Aid: Statewide LSC-funded legal aid organization serving low-income Marylanders across civil practice areas. Closely comparable in service breadth, federal funding mechanics, and court/referral partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Society (New York City): One of the largest and oldest LSC-funded civil legal aid organizations in the U.S., serving NYC. Overlaps with RILS in mission, federal funding model, and practice areas but operates at materially greater scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rilegalservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/RILS1969
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rhode-island-legal-svc-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Rhode Island Legal Services