Lawyers Alliance for New York

What Lawyers Alliance for New York does

Lawyers Alliance for New York is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1969 (originally as the Council of New York Law Associates, renamed in 1991) and headquartered at 171 Madison Avenue, 9th Floor, New York, NY. It is the leading provider of business and transactional legal services for nonprofit organizations and social enterprises serving low-income communities across New York City. The organization serves 768 nonprofit clients across all five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, Staten Island), spanning five program priority areas: Community Arts, Economic Opportunity, Housing and Human Services, Quality Education, and Urban Health. It is led by Executive Director Angela Fernandez (since 2025).

The organization's service model combines direct legal representation by staff attorneys in corporate, real estate, tax, regulatory compliance, employment, and intellectual property matters with a volunteer-attorney matching program that draws from a network of more than 2,200 active volunteer lawyers at 140+ law firms and corporations (including Cleary Gottlieb, Skadden, DLA Piper, Norton Rose Fulbright, Weil Gotshal, and Stroock). Supporting offerings include a Resource Call Hotline staffed by attorneys, educational workshops and webinars (some offering CLE credit), publications (Advising Nonprofits, Bylaws That Work, Getting Organized), and recurring Legal Alerts. Special initiatives address Federal Legal Compliance, Advocacy, Risk Management, Disaster Relief, and pandemic response.

The business model blends modest client fees ($475 new client intake; $800 for incorporation/tax-exemption assistance; $250–$350 per hour or transaction-based for in-house staff legal work), predominantly pro bono delivery via volunteers, and donations received online, by mail, by phone, and through the annual Business Law & Leadership Gala. The organization coordinates the Exponentum national network of business law pro bono providers spanning 14+ states and co-leads the Nonprofit Resiliency Network with NYLPI on federal compliance matters. Revenue figures are not disclosed in the source materials; staff size is 11–50.

Name

Lawyers Alliance for New York

Legal name

Lawyers Alliance for New York

Website

https://lawyersalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lawyers Alliance for New York is a nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1969 that delivers business and transactional legal services to 768 nonprofit organizations serving low-income communities across New York City's five boroughs, leveraging a network of 2,200+ volunteer attorneys from 140+ law firms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Legal Services (5411), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Criminal Justice Reform & Legal System Advocacy (BPAGAFAI), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB)

Keywords

• Nonprofit legal services
• Business transactional law
• Pro bono representation
• Nonprofit organization law
• Legal aid services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Client fees: New client fee of $475 for legal assistance review and placement; $800 fee for organizations seeking incorporation and tax exemption assistance. In-house staff legal work charged at $250-$350/hour or transaction-based fee.
2. Pro bono legal services: Majority of legal matters matched with volunteer attorneys at no cost to clients. Services are free or low-cost thanks to volunteer and financial supporter contributions.
3. Donations and fundraising: Accepts donations online, by phone, by mail, and through special events like the Business Law & Leadership Gala.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lawyers Alliance for New York provides direct business and transactional legal representation, a Resource Call Hotline staffed by attorneys, and educational programs (workshops, webinars, CLE events) to nonprofit organizations and social enterprises in New York City. Services are delivered by staff attorneys and a network of more than 2,200 volunteer attorneys drawn from over 140 law firms and corporations, with most matters handled on a pro bono basis or at low cost. The organization also produces and sells practitioner publications such as "Advising Nonprofits," "Bylaws That Work," and "Getting Organized," and distributes legal alerts on nonprofit governance and compliance topics.

Product overview

Lawyers Alliance for New York operates as a nonprofit organization providing a comprehensive suite of legal services for nonprofits rather than a commercial technology product. Its core offerings include direct legal representation, a Resource Call Hotline staffed by attorneys, and educational programs (workshops, webinars, CLE). These services are delivered through staff attorneys and a network of 2,200+ volunteer attorneys from 140+ law firms. The organization focuses on five program priorities: Community Arts, Economic Opportunity, Housing and Human Services, Quality Education, and Urban Health. Special initiatives address Federal Legal Compliance, Advocacy, National Leadership (including Exponentum), Program Preservation/Evolution, Risk Management, Disaster Relief, and Coronavirus Information. Publications and Legal Alerts provide ongoing educational resources. The organization coordinates with partners like Stripe for payment processing but does not operate a technology product with API capabilities, AI/ML features, or integrations in the traditional SaaS sense.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Exponentum: A national network of business law pro bono providers coordinated by Lawyers Alliance, dedicated to improving quality of life in low-income and disadvantaged communities by expanding availability and quality of pro bono business legal services for nonprofits.

Products and services

• Legal Representation Services

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ExponentumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network of business law pro bono providers coordinated by Lawyers Alliance. Partners with law firms and corporations to implement national responses to nonprofit sector challenges. Members include Bay Area Legal Services, Chicago Lawyers' Committee, D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Michigan Community Resources, Philadelphia VIP, Pro Bono Partnership, Public Counsel, and others across California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington D.C., and Washington State.
• Nonprofit Resiliency NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResource hub for nonprofits co-founded by Lawyers Alliance and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI). Created to help nonprofits face federal legal compliance challenges and emerging issues. Produces legal alerts and FAQs on topics including federal funding certifications, DEI executive orders, immigration enforcement, and data protection.
• CultureAIDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponse and recovery network committed to strengthening New York City's cultural community before, during, and after disasters. Lawyers Alliance is a member of the steering committee. Includes cultural institutions and disaster response organizations.
• Norton Rose Fulbright US LLPminorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono legal assistance to nonprofit clients including Literacy Inc. (LINC) on volunteer and staff policies for child and parent protection.
• DLA Piper LLP (US)minorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono legal assistance to Brooklyn Cooperative Federal Credit Union on alternative ownership and financial structures.
• Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLPminorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono legal assistance including working with West Side Campaign Against Hunger on mobile food pantry funding agreement with City of New York.
• Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLPminorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono legal assistance to Cool Culture on governance documents, bylaws, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Whistleblower Policy.
• Kaye Scholer LLPminorOthersLaw firm providing pro bono legal assistance to Goddard Riverside Community Center on lease negotiations for homeless outreach center.
• Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLPminorOthersLaw firm with externship program at Lawyers Alliance since 1989. Board of Advisors Chair Edward F. Greene serves as Senior Counsel.
• Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLPminorOthersLaw firm with externship program at Lawyers Alliance since 1999.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pro Bono Partnership: A nonprofit that provides business and transactional legal services to nonprofits serving low-income communities in the New York metro area. It operates a volunteer attorney matching model nearly identical to Lawyers Alliance and is a fellow Exponentum network member, making it the closest peer.
• New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI): A NYC-based civil rights and legal services nonprofit that provides legal representation, advocacy, and organizing to communities of color and other underserved groups. Co-founded the Nonprofit Resiliency Network with Lawyers Alliance and operates in overlapping NYC civic infrastructure.
• Public Counsel: The largest pro bono legal services provider in Los Angeles, serving nonprofits and low-income communities with transactional and impact litigation support. Fellow Exponentum member with a directly comparable model to Lawyers Alliance in a different metro.
• Bay Area Legal Services: Provides free civil legal services to low-income Bay Area residents and nonprofit support, with significant pro bono attorney matching. Exponentum network partner with a directly analogous service model to Lawyers Alliance.
• Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights: A Chicago-based nonprofit providing pro bono legal services to civil rights and community-based organizations. Exponentum partner operating a similar volunteer-attorney model for nonprofit clients in a different metro.
• D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center: Coordinates pro bono legal services for nonprofits and low-income individuals across the Washington DC region. Exponentum network peer with a directly overlapping pro bono legal services model for nonprofit clients.
• Philadelphia VIP: Matches volunteer attorneys from Philadelphia law firms and corporations with nonprofit and small business clients needing business law services. Exponentum partner with a structurally identical volunteer-matching model to Lawyers Alliance.
• Michigan Community Resources: A Detroit-based nonprofit law firm that provides business and transactional legal services to nonprofits and social enterprises through staff attorneys and volunteer support. Exponentum peer operating a directly analogous service model outside NYC.

Regional players

• Nonprofit New York: The primary membership and capacity-building association for NYC nonprofits, providing training, advocacy, and resources. While not a direct legal services provider, it is a core referral and educational partner serving the same nonprofit client base.

Broad incumbents

• National Council of Nonprofits: The largest network of nonprofit organizations in the US, providing policy advocacy and capacity-building resources. It is a broader incumbent serving the same underlying nonprofit clients that Lawyers Alliance supports with legal services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lawyersalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Lawyers Alliance for New York