LawHelpNY

What LawHelpNY does

LawHelpNY is a nonprofit online legal information portal serving low-income New Yorkers, operated by Pro Bono Net and founded in 2001. The platform provides free access to a curated legal content library organized across 14 topic areas (Civil Rights, Housing, Immigration, Family, Public Benefits, Veterans, LGBTQIA+, etc.), a searchable directory of more than 100 free legal aid organizations across all 62 New York counties, a real-time LiveHelp chat service staffed by trained volunteers Monday through Thursday, and a comprehensive directory of topic-specific legal hotlines. The website is offered in English and Spanish and supports location-based resource matching by ZIP code, city, or county.

Underlying technology is a web-based content and directory platform rather than a productized software stack; its principal technical components are the LiveHelp chat service, the multilingual content management system, and the directory search and filtering interface. There is no disclosed API, SDK, or native mobile application, and the platform does not integrate third-party developer tools. Its proprietary features are primarily content-based (multilingual curated legal materials, location-aware directory search, and volunteer-powered chat triage) rather than algorithmic or model-based.

The business model is non-commercial: all services are free to users, and revenue is derived from donations, foundation grants, and government funding channeled through Pro Bono Net as the operating nonprofit. The go-to-market motion is community-led, driven by volunteer LiveHelp operators, content marketing via the website and social channels (Facebook, Twitter), email newsletter, and PR around legal rights issues. The organization operates with a small (1–10) staff and serves a fragmented base of individual end users rather than enterprise accounts.

Name

LawHelpNY

Legal name

LawHelpNY (operated by Pro Bono Net)

Website

https://lawhelpny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

LawHelpNY is a nonprofit, web-based legal information portal operated by Pro Bono Net that provides free multilingual legal resources, a searchable directory of 100+ legal aid organizations across New York State, and a volunteer-staffed LiveHelp chat for low-income residents.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Free legal aid
• Legal information resources
• Civil legal help
• Legal aid directory
• Nonprofit legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: LawHelpNY is operated by Pro Bono Net as a nonprofit organization. The platform is free to users and relies on donations and potentially government or foundation grants for funding.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LawHelpNY is a free, nonprofit online legal information portal that provides low-income New Yorkers with self-help legal resources, a searchable directory of free legal aid organizations, real-time volunteer-staffed LiveHelp chat guidance, legal guides and forms, and a curated hotlines directory. It serves all 62 New York counties and is available in English and Spanish.

Product overview

LawHelpNY is a free legal information website for New Yorkers operated by Pro Bono Net. The platform offers a unified web-based resource providing legal self-help materials organized across 14 major topic areas (Civil Rights, Family, Health, Housing, Immigration, etc.), a searchable directory of free legal aid organizations across New York State, a real-time online chat service called LiveHelp staffed by trained volunteers, and an extensive collection of legal guides and forms. Users can access information in English and Spanish, search for local legal services, chat live with operators, and connect to topic-specific hotlines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• LiveHelp Online Chat Service Real-time online chat service connecting users with volunteer operators who provide guidance to legal resources, self-help materials, and legal aid organizations across New York State. Available Monday to Thursday 9 AM to 9 PM EST for low-income New Yorkers seeking free legal assistance.
• Legal Topics and Issues Library Online library of self-help legal information organized by 14 major civil legal topics (Civil Rights, Courts and Lawyers, Education, Employment, Family, Health, Housing, Immigration, LGBTQIA+, Life Planning, Money and Taxes, Public Benefits, Records for Crimes, Safety, Veterans and Military). Designed for low-income New Yorkers seeking information about their legal rights.
• Legal Directory Searchable online directory of free legal aid organizations across New York State. Users can search by ZIP code, city, or county and filter by legal topic to find appropriate free legal services. For low-income New Yorkers seeking local legal assistance.
• Legal Guides and Forms Online collection of legal guides and forms designed to help users navigate various civil legal situations in New York State. Free self-help resources for low-income New Yorkers.
• Hotlines Directory Comprehensive online directory of free, confidential legal hotlines organized by topic (General Legal Information, Family Law, Domestic Violence, Crisis Counseling, Housing, Public Benefits, Consumer issues, Immigration, Health, Education, Veterans, and Disaster Legal Aid). Enables users to connect with specialized phone-based legal assistance.

Quantifiable outcome

• LiveHelp chat increased by 50% during COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating platform's critical role during crisis periods

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pro Bono NetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Bono Net is the nonprofit organization that operates LawHelpNY. As the parent organization, Pro Bono Net develops and maintains the platform in partnership with legal aid and nonprofit organizations across New York State to provide free legal information to low-income New Yorkers.
• Justicia LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJusticia Lab partnered with NYLAG to develop Reclamo AI, a free chatbot that helps New York workers understand their workplace rights and wage theft issues.
• New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYLAG partnered with Justicia Lab to create Reclamo AI, a free chatbot helping workers understand wage and hour laws. NYLAG also provides free civil legal services referenced on LawHelpNY.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• LawHelp.org: LawHelp.org is the national network of legal aid websites also operated by Pro Bono Net, the same parent as LawHelpNY. It is the directly comparable state-level sibling platform sharing infrastructure, content models, and organizational mission of providing free legal information to low-income Americans.
• Pro Bono Net: Pro Bono Net is the parent nonprofit organization that operates LawHelpNY. As the operating entity and steward of multiple LawHelp state sites, it is the most directly comparable organization in terms of mission, infrastructure, and service delivery model.
• New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG): NYLAG is a major NYC-based civil legal services provider that is both a referral partner of LawHelpNY and co-developed the Reclamo AI chatbot. Its free legal clinics and self-help resources directly overlap with LawHelpNY's user base and service approach.
• The Legal Aid Society: The Legal Aid Society is New York City's primary provider of free civil and criminal legal services. It is one of the largest organizations referenced in LawHelpNY's directory and competes for the same low-income user base seeking free civil legal help in New York.

Broad incumbents

• Nolo: Nolo is a long-established publisher of do-it-yourself legal guides, forms, and books. Like LawHelpNY, it provides consumer-facing legal self-help content but is a commercial publisher targeting a broader, paying audience.
• Avvo: Avvo is an online legal directory and Q&A platform connecting consumers with attorneys. Its directory and free legal Q&A capability directly overlap with LawHelpNY's legal directory and informational content strategy.
• Justia: Justia is a broad legal information and marketing platform offering free legal guides, lawyer directories, and case law across the U.S. It overlaps with LawHelpNY's content library and directory model but operates at national scale and across practice areas.
• LegalZoom: LegalZoom is a leading online legal services platform offering forms, registered agent, and attorney services. While commercial and broader in scope, it directly competes for self-help users in areas such as family law, estate planning, and small business - all topics covered by LawHelpNY.

Emerging players

• Rocket Lawyer: Rocket Lawyer is an online legal services subscription platform offering document templates and on-demand attorney access. It addresses the same self-help legal information need as LawHelpNY but with a paid subscription model rather than free nonprofit delivery.

Regional players

• LawHelpCA / CaliforniaLawHelp: CaliforniaLawHelp is a sister LawHelp state portal, also part of Pro Bono Net's national network, serving California's low-income residents. It is comparable in mission and operating model to LawHelpNY but covers a different, larger jurisdiction.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lawhelpny
• Facebookfacebook.com/LawHelpNY

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 LawHelpNY