Children's Law Center

What Children's Law Center does

Children's Law Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It provides free legal representation, health advocacy, education advocacy, social work, and systemic reform services to vulnerable children and families in the District of Columbia. The organization is appointed by DC judges to serve as Guardian ad Litem in foster care and custody cases, and it operates one of the nation's earliest medical-legal partnerships, with lawyers embedded in 10 DC health clinics. Additional program lines include the Families Together initiative for expectant and new parents, education legal services for students with disabilities, policy testimony before DC government bodies, and a pro bono lawyer matching program with major AmLaw firms.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than revenue-generating. Children's Law Center does not charge clients for services. Funding comes from individual donors, corporations, law firm pro bono partnerships, and institutional foundations, with a tiered major-gift program anchored by foundations at the $100K-$1M+ level. The organization also sustains a coalition architecture across housing, behavioral health, TANF, early childhood, and special education policy domains. Over 30 years, it has served 60,000+ children and families directly, secured the passage of 50+ laws, and impacted hundreds of thousands of lives through direct services and systemic reform. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Children's Law Center

Legal name

Children's Law Center

Website

https://childrenslawcenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Children's Law Center is a Washington, DC nonprofit founded in 1996 that provides free legal representation, medical-legal partnerships across 10 health clinics, education advocacy, and systemic reform services to DC children and families in foster care, custody disputes, and disability-related cases.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Child Rights & Protection (BPADAGAG)

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Child advocacy
• Medical-legal partnership
• Foster care representation
• Pro bono legal support

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Children's Law Center relies on individual donors, law firms, corporations, and foundations for financial support. The organization runs campaigns like Champions for Children and accepts various donation levels from supporters.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Children's Law Center is a nonprofit legal services organization that provides free legal representation, health support, advocacy, social work, and education services to children and families in the District of Columbia. The organization combines direct individual client representation with systemic policy reform, and operates one of the nation's first medical-legal partnerships embedding lawyers in health clinics.

Product overview

Children's Law Center is a nonprofit legal services organization that operates as a unified suite of advocacy services rather than a technology product platform. Its core offerings include legal representation for children in foster care and custody disputes (via Guardian ad Litem appointments), medical-legal partnerships embedded in ten D.C. health clinics, the Families Together program for new parents, education legal services for students with disabilities, policy testimony and systemic reform advocacy, pro bono lawyer matching services, and a resources library of practice materials. These services collectively address the legal needs of D.C. children and families across the domains of family, health, education, and housing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Representation Services
• Medical-Legal Partnerships
• Families Together
• Education Legal Services
• TANF Advocacy
• Policy Testimony
• Pro Bono Lawyer Matching

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ children and families directly served since 1996
• +2 more outcomes

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

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DC Healthy Housing CollaborativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working to improve healthy housing conditions for DC families. Children's Law Center participates as a member advocating for housing-related legal protections for children.
• Fair Budget CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on budget and fiscal policy advocacy. Children's Law Center works with Fair Budget Coalition on issues affecting DC children including TANF and safety net programs.
• Early Childhood Innovation NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork focused on early childhood development innovations. Children's Law Center participates in advocacy for early childhood services.
• Special Education Advisory CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition advocating for special education services and policies benefiting students with disabilities in DC schools.
• Under 3 DCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition focused on early childhood (children under 3) advocacy and services in the District.
• Strengthening Families Through Behavioral Health CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition working on behavioral health services and policies for families and children in DC.
• TANF is Still a Lifeline CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition fighting to preserve and bolster DC's TANF cash assistance program. Partners include DC Fiscal Policy Institute, Legal Aid DC, United Planning Organization, Bread for the City, LIFT-DC, DC Action.
• Ropes & Gray LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor2019 Pro Bono Champion law firm providing substantial pro bono legal services to DC children through Children's Law Center.
• Hogan Lovells US LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor pro bono partner providing legal services to DC children and families.
• Covington & Burling LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor pro bono partner law firm with multiple attorneys providing volunteer legal services.
• Arnold & PortercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPro bono partner firm providing legal services to Children's Law Center clients.
• Latham & Watkins LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChampions for Children Campaign winner (250+ attorneys in DC office) providing extensive pro bono support.
• Mayer Brown LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChampions for Children Campaign winner (100-249 attorneys in DC office) providing pro bono legal services.
• WilmerHaleChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPro bono partner law firm providing volunteer legal services to DC children.
• Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLPcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPro bono partner providing legal services through Children's Law Center.
• DLA PipercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHigh flier champion in Champions for Children Campaign providing pro bono support.
• Georgetown University Law CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw school partner providing student volunteers and legal support.
• American University Washington College of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw school partner providing student volunteers and legal support.
• Office of the State Superintendent of EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC government agency with which Children's Law Center participates in interagency councils.
• Department of Behavioral HealthminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDC government agency involved in behavioral health policy and services for children.
• Mayor's Advisory Committee on Child Abuse and NeglectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment advisory body on which Children's Law Center participates.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Children's Defense Fund: Children's Defense Fund is a national child advocacy organization that combines policy research, federal advocacy, and state-level programs for children. While it overlaps with CLC on systemic advocacy for children in poverty, it operates at much greater scale across many states and does not deliver direct legal representation in DC.

Direct peers

• Juvenile Law Center: Juvenile Law Center is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit that uses impact litigation and policy advocacy to advance the rights of children in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. It is highly comparable to CLC's combination of individual representation with systemic reform on behalf of DC/PA children.
• National Center for Youth Law: NCYL is a California-based nonprofit legal organization advancing policies and litigation to improve outcomes for children, particularly those in foster care and juvenile justice. Comparable to CLC in combining individual representation with impact litigation and policy reform on behalf of marginalized youth.
• DC Bar Pro Bono Program: The DC Bar Pro Bono Program is the central pro bono clearinghouse for civil legal services in Washington, DC. It is comparable to Children's Law Center as a DC-based, donor- and volunteer-powered legal services provider with overlapping relationships with the same major DC law firms.
• Advocates for Children of New York: AFC NY is a nonprofit legal services organization representing NYC students, particularly those with disabilities, in education and child welfare matters. It is directly comparable to Children's Law Center in mission, legal-services delivery, education-rights focus, and donor-funded model.
• Legal Aid DC: Legal Aid DC is the District's general civil legal aid organization providing free legal services to low-income DC residents. It is the most direct peer to Children's Law Center, sharing DC geography, donor-supported legal aid model, court appointment systems, and overlapping clients on family, housing, and benefits matters.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): KIND is a national nonprofit providing legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children. It mirrors Children's Law Center's pro bono lawyer-matching model, single-mission legal services focus on children, and strong AmLaw firm pro bono partnerships, though KIND's substantive area is immigration rather than the family/health/education mix CLC covers.

Regional players

• Neighborhood Legal Services Program: NLSP is a Washington DC-area legal aid organization serving low-income residents across multiple jurisdictions. It is comparable to Children's Law Center in DC-area legal aid delivery and donation-funded model, though its scope is broader than children's services.

Emerging players

• National Association of Counsel for Children: NACC is a national membership and child law organization supporting attorneys representing children, including through Guardian ad Litem work. It overlaps with Children's Law Center in practice area (children's representation, Guardian ad Litem) but operates as a professional association rather than a direct service provider.
• Georgetown University Law Center - Health Justice Alliance: Georgetown's Health Justice Alliance is a law school-affiliated medical-legal partnership that embeds law students and clinicians in DC healthcare settings. It directly compares to Children's Law Center's pioneering medical-legal partnership model and is one of CLC's law school partners (Georgetown Law).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DCChildrensLaw
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ChildrensLawCenterDC
• Facebookfacebook.com/DCCLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/children%27s-law-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/DCChildrensLaw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Children's Law Center