Cabrini Green Legal Aid

What Cabrini Green Legal Aid does

Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal aid organization founded in 1973 in Chicago, Illinois, providing holistic legal services to low-income individuals negatively impacted by the criminal legal system. Its core service lines include the Criminal Records Program (expungement and sealing delivered through a virtual help desk and in-person help desks at the Daley Center and Markham courthouses, serving approximately 3,000 people annually), Criminal Defense Practice, Juvenile and Civil Practices, Social Services wraparound support, Policy and Advocacy, and a Pro Bono Volunteer Program that mobilizes Illinois-licensed attorneys. Since its founding at the request of the Cabrini Green community by Chuck Hogren, CGLA has expanded from a single-neighborhood legal clinic to a statewide-recognized organization that has helped more than 150,000 clients directly over its history, with policy work extending impact to an estimated 3.3 million Illinois residents with criminal records.

The organization is staffed by 11–50 employees including a Managing Attorney of the Criminal Records Relief Team (Steve Fus), a Senior Attorney for the Pro Bono Program (Alexandra Antonacci, joined 2024), and additional Criminal Defense and Criminal Records Program staff attorneys. CGLA operates from its headquarters at 6 S Clark St., Suite 200, Chicago, and is governed by a Board of Directors and Leadership Council under Executive Director Aisha Edwards. Supporting cultural and engagement assets include the Bird Uncaged short film and the Art & Archives Exhibition curated by Alexandria Eregbu, launched during CGLA's 50th anniversary in 2023.

CGLA's business model is a donation-funded nonprofit rather than a commercial enterprise: services are delivered at no cost to qualifying low-income clients, and operating revenue derives from tax-deductible individual donations, foundation grants, and a formalized tiered annual corporate sponsorship program with law firms and corporations (tiers from Friend $2,500+ through Champion $25,000+). Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no equity funding rounds, and no product revenue. Technology footprint is limited to standard web presence (cgla.net) and social channels; there is no mobile app, no public API, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no proprietary technology platform — the core offering is human-staff-intensive legal representation and advocacy.

Name

Cabrini Green Legal Aid

Legal name

Cabrini Green Legal Aid

Website

https://cgla.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cabrini Green Legal Aid is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1973 that provides free criminal defense, expungement, juvenile, and civil legal services to low-income individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, serving approximately 3,000 clients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

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: Tax-deductible donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations supporting the organization's mission to provide legal services to low-income individuals affected by the criminal legal system.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CGLA is a nonprofit legal aid organization that provides free legal services to low-income individuals impacted by the criminal legal system, including expungement and sealing of criminal records, criminal defense representation, juvenile and civil legal services, and wraparound social services. Services are delivered through virtual and in-person courthouse help desks, community expungement events, and direct legal representation, complemented by systemic policy and advocacy work.

Product overview

Cabrini Green Legal Aid (CGLA) is a nonprofit legal aid organization established in 1973 that provides holistic legal services to low-income individuals impacted by the criminal legal system. The organization's core offerings include the Criminal Records Program (expungement and sealing through virtual and in-person help desks), Criminal Defense Practice, Juvenile and Civil Practices, and Social Services. Supporting programs include Policy and Advocacy (legislative alerts, lobby days), the Pro Bono Volunteer Program, Know Your Rights Resources, and community engagement initiatives such as the Art & Archives Exhibition and the Bird Uncaged short film. CGLA serves clients citywide and countywide, with recognition as a statewide leader in criminal legal system advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Virtual Criminal Records Relief Help Desk Virtual help desk assisting low-income individuals seeking to clear their criminal records through expungement and sealing processes, including research, petition preparation, and consultations.
• Daley Center Help Desk In-person help desk at the Daley Center where volunteers assist with walk-up questions, intake processes, and brief consultations about expungement and sealing for low-income individuals.
• Criminal Defense Practice Legal representation for individuals facing criminal charges, including defense against objections to sealing and expungement petitions.
• Criminal Records Program Program helping clients expunge or seal criminal records, removing barriers to employment, housing, and education, with staff attorneys handling petitions and court hearings.
• Juvenile and Civil Practices Legal services for juvenile matters and civil legal issues affecting low-income individuals and families impacted by the criminal legal system.
• Policy and Advocacy Systemic change efforts including legislative alerts, advocacy trainings, contacting representatives, and lobby days to transform the criminal legal system.
• Social Services Wraparound support services provided alongside legal representation to address holistic client needs.
• Pro Bono Volunteer Program Program offering Illinois-licensed lawyers training and opportunities to provide limited-scope and full representation services in criminal records, defense, and juvenile/civil matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ clients helped directly since 1973
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• First Defense Legal AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCGLA helped found First Defense Legal Aid, which was initially called the Hotline for Justice. This organization provided legal representation to people held in Chicago Police stations, with volunteer assistance, before the Public Defender's office expanded to cover this service.
• Job Training AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations that refer clients to CGLA for legal assistance, such as job placement programs that connect individuals seeking expungement services.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• First Defense Legal Aid: Chicago nonprofit providing 24-hour legal representation at police stations and pretrial advocacy for people in custody. CGLA helped found First Defense Legal Aid (originally Hotline for Justice) in 1983; comparable in criminal-justice-focused mission and Chicago client base.
• Greater Chicago Legal Clinic: Chicago nonprofit legal aid clinic serving low-income communities with criminal defense, civil, and expungement services. Comparable in service mix, mission, and client base to CGLA, including in-person help-desk service delivery in Cook County.
• Legal Aid Chicago: Chicago-based legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income residents. Directly comparable to CGLA as a fellow nonprofit legal aid provider serving the same Chicago low-income population, although Legal Aid Chicago focuses more on civil matters and housing while CGLA specializes in criminal records and defense.
• Equip for Equality: Illinois nonprofit legal advocacy organization serving people with disabilities. Comparable as a statewide Illinois legal-aid peer organization with policy advocacy and direct representation, though specialized to the disability community.
• Chicago Volunteer Legal Services: Chicago nonprofit coordinating pro bono attorneys to deliver free civil legal services to low-income residents. Comparable to CGLA in its reliance on volunteer lawyer capacity to deliver free legal services in Cook County.
• Metropolitan Family Services: Chicago-based human services nonprofit offering wraparound legal, social, and educational support to low-income individuals and families. Comparable to CGLA's holistic model that pairs legal representation with social services for justice-involved populations.

Broad incumbents

• Illinois Legal Aid Online: Statewide legal information and self-help portal operated by Illinois legal-aid providers, including information on expungement and sealing. Comparable to CGLA's virtual help desk channel and the statewide client base CGLA serves.

Emerging players

• Cabrini Green Legal Aid (expungement-specific peers): Refers to specialized expungement-focused clinics and projects (e.g., The Expungement Project, Fresh Start legal clinics) operating in other states. Comparable to CGLA's core Criminal Records Program and Daley Center/Markham help desks, though typically smaller-scale or non-Illinois based.

Regional players

• Prairie State Legal Services: Statewide Illinois legal aid provider serving low-income residents across 36 counties with civil legal services. Comparable in mission and Illinois service geography, though its geographic and substantive scope is broader than CGLA's criminal-records focus.
• Land of Lincoln Legal Aid: Illinois legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income residents, including some criminal records expungement work. Comparable statewide Illinois legal-aid peer, though focused primarily on civil matters.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cgla
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CabriniGreenLegalAid/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/cabrinigreenlegalaid
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cabrini-green-legal-aid/posts/?feedView=all&viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/cabrinigreenlegalaid

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Cabrini Green Legal Aid