Legal Aid Society of San Diego Inc

What Legal Aid Society of San Diego Inc does

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. (LASSD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1924 that provides free civil legal services to low-income and vulnerable residents of San Diego County. As the largest and most established free legal aid provider in the region (100+ years of continuous operation, ~14,000 people served in 2021, 2,300 free clinics annually, ~15,000 volunteer hours), LASSD delivers representation, advice, and self-help resources across 20+ practice areas including eviction defense, family law, immigration, public benefits, healthcare coverage (Medi-Cal, Covered California, Medicare), SSI/SSDI, consumer protection, mental health patients' rights, housing discrimination, and education rights for students with disabilities.

Services are delivered through a multi-channel distribution model: two dedicated physical offices (Midtown San Diego at 1764 San Diego Avenue, North County San Marcos at 100 E. San Marcos Blvd), walk-in clinics at five courthouse locations (Hall of Justice, Central, South County/East County/Vista), dedicated hotlines (legal, health, immigration, TTY), virtual/telephone intake via Zoom and Microsoft Teams, and community partner sites including seven County Clubhouses and the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center. Multilingual support in nine languages (English, Spanish, Tagalog, Farsi, Arabic, Somali, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese) is supported across the website and frontline operations. The technology stack is limited to case management and intake systems; no AI/automation layer is evident.

Revenue is grant- and donation-funded: primary sources are the federally chartered Legal Services Corporation (LSC), State of California appropriations, and tax-deductible charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners (EIN 95-1869806). All services are provided free of charge to qualifying clients. Operating model is supplementalized by ~15,000 annual in-kind volunteer hours (attorneys, law students, community members) and partnerships with the San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP), Health Consumer Alliance, Housing Justice Collaborative, 211 San Diego, and Live Well San Diego. Sub-brands include CCHEA (Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy), the Fair Housing Center, and the Housing Justice Collaborative.

Name

Legal Aid Society of San Diego Inc

Legal name

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc.

Website

https://lassd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1924

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Legal Aid Society of San Diego is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded 1924, providing free civil legal services — housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, healthcare, and SSI/SSDI — to low-income and vulnerable residents across San Diego County, funded primarily by Legal Services Corporation and the State of California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAFAA

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYEDAAAFAI

Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Free legal services
• Immigration legal help
• Housing legal assistance
• Family law services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Funding: Primary funding from Legal Services Corporation (LSC), a federally chartered nonprofit that provides financial support for civil legal aid, and the State of California. These grants fund core operations and legal services delivery.
2. Charitable Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, foundations, and community partners support services for vulnerable San Diego County residents. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with EIN 95-1869806.
3. Volunteer Services (In-Kind): Volunteers including attorneys, law students, and community members donate approximately 15,000 hours annually, providing substantial in-kind support for service delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers free civil legal representation, advice, and self-help education to low-income and vulnerable residents of San Diego County. The organization operates more than 15 specialized practice-area programs spanning housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, healthcare coverage, consumer protection, mental health patients' rights, education rights, and SSI/disability benefits, delivered through walk-in courthouse clinics, hotlines, physical offices, webinars, and community partner sites.

Product overview

Legal Aid Society of San Diego is a nonprofit legal aid organization that provides free legal assistance to low-income and vulnerable residents of San Diego County. The organization operates as a unified service provider offering multiple specialized legal practice areas rather than a software platform. Services include walk-in clinics, legal representation, self-help workshops, and community education across civil legal matters including housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, healthcare coverage, SSI/disability benefits, consumer protection, tax issues, and mental health patients' rights. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy (CCHEA): A unit within LASSD that serves as the County-designated Patients' Rights advocate for non-residential and outpatient behavioral health services, helping clients with health coverage and access to care.
• Fair Housing Center
• Housing Justice Collaborative

Products and services

• Civil Appeals Self-Help Workshop Monthly self-help workshop for civil cases on appeal in the California Court of Appeal, Fourth District, providing procedures and resources to handle appeals without an attorney; held via Zoom with advance registration required.
• Conservatorship Clinic Walk-in clinic providing information, education, and assistance completing paperwork for the Conservatorship of the Person process, including basic written objections and competing petitions; located at Central Courthouse, San Diego.
• Consumer Protection and Bankruptcy Legal assistance for low-income individuals with consumer disputes including car payments, repossession, identity theft, student loans, debt collection harassment, credit reporting issues, medical debt, solar scams, foreclosure, and bankruptcy.
• Education Rights Advocacy for students with disabilities under IDEA and state laws, including IEP/504 services, representation at meetings, due process hearings, and compliance complaints for special education matters.
• Eviction Defense Walk-in clinic and resources to help tenants respond to eviction lawsuits, prepare answers to Unlawful Detainer cases, and request additional time to move if facing Sheriff notice to vacate.
• Family Law Legal advice and representation for eligible individuals in family law matters including child custody disputes, dissolution/divorce, domestic violence, parentage cases, and court-ordered visitation issues.
• Health Care and Coverage (CCHEA) Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy helping people obtain and maintain health coverage including Medi-Cal, Covered California, Medicare, and appealing denials; also serves as Cal MediConnect Ombudsman.
• Housing Discrimination (Fair Housing Center) Fair Housing Center providing outreach, education, and enforcement of fair housing laws to stop discrimination and ensure equal housing opportunities in San Diego City and County.
• Immigration Services Legal services for low-income immigrants including immigration court representation, family-based petitions, lawful permanent resident status, naturalization, citizenship applications, VAWA, U and T visas, green card renewal, and removal defense.
• Mental Health and Substance Abuse Patients' Rights County-designated Patients' Rights advocate for non-residential and outpatient behavioral health services, investigating issues, educating clients, and helping file Medi-Cal appeals when County Mental Health Plan denies services.
• Name and Gender Marker Changes Walk-in clinic providing information, education, and assistance completing paperwork to legally change name or gender markers; services offered on first-come, first-served basis at Hall of Justice, San Diego.
• Public Benefits Assistance with public assistance programs including General Relief, CalWorks, CalFresh, CAPI, KinGap, Foster Care, Adoptive Assistance, and related administrative hearings.
• Restraining Orders Walk-in clinics helping with domestic violence, elder abuse, and civil harassment restraining orders, including court forms, process information, safety plans, and referrals to shelters.
• SSI Benefits Free legal assistance with Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims including initial applications, reconsiderations, hearings, appeals, and continuing disability reviews.
• SSI for Children Legal representation for children with qualifying medical conditions through the SSI process, including initial applications, reconsideration appeals, administrative hearings, and federal court appeals.
• Taxpayer Rights and Education (LITC) Help with federal tax disputes, California state tax issues, audits, missing refunds, tax debt payment plans, and representation before United States Tax Court; Tax Walk-In Clinic held monthly at San Diego County Law Library.
• Walk-In Legal Clinics Multiple walk-in clinics offering free legal assistance with various issues including eviction defense, conservatorship, tax issues, name/gender changes, restraining orders, bankruptcy, and CARE Act matters at various courthouse locations.
• CARE Act Program Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment Act program providing court process for individuals with severe mental illness (schizophrenia or psychotic disorders) to receive voluntary treatment and supportive services through a CARE plan.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 14,000 people served in 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Live Well San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner10-year partner in the Live Well San Diego initiative, demonstrating long-term commitment to community health and wellbeing in San Diego County. Partnership supports integrated approach to serving vulnerable residents.
• 211 San DiegominorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommunity resource referral service that connects San Diego residents with LASSD legal aid services. Part of the referral network helping connect vulnerable individuals with needed legal assistance.
• Health Consumer AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Health Consumer Alliance (HCA) enables LASSD's Consumer Center for Health Education and Advocacy (CCHEA) to provide health coverage assistance and advocacy services across San Diego County.
• Housing Justice CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative providing resources to help renters stay in their homes through online workshops, in-person attorney clinics, and educational materials about local housing laws. Addresses eviction prevention and housing stability.
• San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program (SDVLP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for eviction (unlawful detainer) clinic and civil harassment restraining order services in North County. SDVLP provides volunteer attorneys who assist with legal clinics alongside LASSD staff.
• County Clubhouses (San Diego)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLASSD partners with County Clubhouses including Casa Del Centro, Connections 2 Community, East Corner Clubhouse, Plaza Clubhouse, The Meeting Place, Mariposa Clubhouse, and Escondido Clubhouse to provide SSI services to individuals with mental health conditions throughout San Diego County.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bet Tzedek: Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing free legal aid across housing, elder law, immigration, consumer protection, and disability rights. Highly comparable service portfolio, funding profile, and courthouse-based clinic model.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: The largest civil legal aid provider in Los Angeles County, offering free services across housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, and consumer protection. Directly comparable in mission, funding structure (LSC-funded), and multi-practice-area delivery model.
• Bay Area Legal Aid: Provides free civil legal aid across the San Francisco Bay Area in housing, family law, public benefits, healthcare, and immigration. Closely mirrors LASSD's LSC funding model and horizontal, multi-issue service delivery.
• Legal Aid Society of San Francisco: LSC-funded San Francisco civil legal aid organization with comparable practice-area breadth (housing, family, public benefits, immigration). Same 'name-brand' legal aid society structure and free-to-client model.

Broad incumbents

• National Legal Aid & Defender Association: National membership and advocacy organization for civil legal aid and public defense providers; LASSD is part of its constituency. Comparable as a sector peer and policy voice, though not a direct service provider.
• Public Counsel: Largest pro bono public interest law firm in the United States, based in Los Angeles, with practice areas overlapping LASSD's (housing, family law, immigration, consumer protection). Broader scope and pro bono attorney model rather than a staff legal aid shop.

Regional players

• Inland Counties Legal Services: LSC-funded legal aid serving California's Inland Empire (San Bernardino and Riverside counties). Highly comparable services and funding profile, but operates in a different Southern California geography than LASSD.
• California Rural Legal Assistance (CRLA): Statewide California legal aid organization focused on rural and agricultural communities, with overlapping practice areas (housing, labor, education, immigration). Comparable LSC-funded, free-service model but distinct rural mandate.

Emerging players

• San Diego Volunteer Lawyer Program: San Diego-based pro bono referral program that supplies volunteer attorneys to LASSD clinics (including eviction defense and civil harassment restraining orders). A direct operational partner and partial overlap in service delivery.
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights of the San Francisco Bay Area: Civil rights legal organization with overlapping practice areas (housing discrimination, immigration, education rights). Comparable in advocacy orientation but more focused on impact litigation and policy than direct services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@legalaidsocietysandiego1044
• Facebookfacebook.com/legalaidsocietyofsandiego
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/117158/admin/feed/posts
• Instagraminstagram.com/legalaidsd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Legal Aid Society of San Diego Inc