Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

What Legal Aid Society of Hawaii does

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii is a non-profit public interest law firm founded in 1950 and headquartered at 924 Bethel Street in Honolulu. It is the oldest and largest civil legal aid provider in the state, employing 101-250 staff and delivering free legal services to low-income individuals across Hawaii. Its practice areas span housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, consumer matters, and elder law, delivered through phone intake, an online intake portal built on the LegalServer platform, walk-in services at the Honolulu office, and a self-help Legal Navigator portal with multilingual resources in Spanish, Ilocano, and Tagalog. Specialized programs include Disaster Recovery Legal Services, the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center (covering VAWA, U-visa, citizenship, and COFA migrant cases), and Elder Law Services.

The firm does not charge clients; its operating model is funded by federal grants and charitable donations, with donor development supported through campaigns such as its 75th Anniversary fundraiser in 2025. It operates formal partnerships with the Hawaii State Bar Association for pro bono disaster recovery deployment and with the Hawaii Department of Human Services for SNAP and other public benefit access. Recent operational emphasis has been on disaster response (2023 Maui wildfires, 2026 Kona Low weather event) and on regulatory advocacy for underserved populations, notably COFA migrants (March 2024). The technology stack is limited to LegalServer-based intake and the Legal Navigator portal, with no disclosed AI/ML, proprietary model, or data flywheel components.

Name

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

Legal name

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii

Website

https://legalaidhawaii.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1950

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii is a non-profit public interest law firm founded in 1950 that provides free civil legal aid to low-income individuals across Hawaii in housing, family, immigration, public benefits, consumer, and elder law matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Human Rights Organizations (813311)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Public interest law
• Free legal services
• Immigration legal services
• Disaster recovery legal aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Honolulu

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Free Legal Services: Legal Aid Society of Hawaii provides free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and does not charge clients for legal services. Revenue comes from federal funding and donations rather than client fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii is a non-profit public interest law firm that provides free civil legal assistance to qualifying low-income individuals across Hawaii. Its services span housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, consumer matters, elder law, and disaster recovery legal aid, delivered through phone intake, an online intake portal, the Legal Navigator self-help resource site, and direct legal representation from offices statewide.

Product overview

Legal Aid Society of Hawaii is a nonprofit public interest law firm providing free civil legal services to low-income individuals across Hawaii. The organization operates a unified service model offering direct legal assistance through multiple delivery channels: an online intake system via LegalServer for remote applications, the Legal Navigator web portal for self-help resources, and direct legal representation across practice areas including housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, and consumer matters. Specialized services include disaster recovery legal assistance and the Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center. As a legal aid organization rather than a technology product company, the organization does not operate on a platform-plus-modules architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Online Intake System Web-based intake portal that enables eligible low-income individuals in Hawaii to apply for civil legal aid services online through the LegalServer platform.
• Legal Navigator Online self-help resource portal providing legal information, brochures, court forms, and information videos to help the public navigate civil legal issues without direct representation.
• Civil Legal Services Free civil legal assistance covering housing, family law, immigration, public benefits, and consumer matters for qualifying low-income individuals in Hawaii.
• Disaster Recovery Legal Services Pro bono legal assistance for disaster-affected individuals in Hawaii, including FEMA appeals, document replacement, unemployment benefits, and housing-related legal issues, coordinated with the Hawaii State Bar Association.
• Hawaii Immigrant Justice Center Legal services for immigrant communities in Hawaii, including VAWA self-petitions, U-visa applications, citizenship assistance, family reunification, and support for COFA migrants facing domestic violence or human trafficking.
• Elder Law Services Legal assistance specifically tailored for senior Hawaii residents, addressing housing, public benefits, and other civil legal issues affecting older adults.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

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.

• Hawaii State Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on pro bono disaster recovery legal services including coordinating legal hotlines, legal clinics and workshops, and staffing disaster assistance response centers as part of the State's emergency recovery efforts.
• Hawaii Department of Human ServicescoreOthersPartnership for SNAP replacement benefits and other public assistance programs, helping eligible households access government benefits including food assistance, healthcare, and housing support.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lone Star Legal Aid: Texas-based non-profit legal aid organization serving low-income residents across multiple practice areas including housing, family, public benefits, and disaster recovery — directly comparable free civil legal services model and regional scale.
• Bay Area Legal Aid: Northern California non-profit legal aid provider serving low-income clients across housing, family, immigration, and public benefits — directly comparable free-service model and funding mix, including disaster-response work.
• Mid-Minnesota Legal Aid: Minnesota non-profit legal aid serving low-income clients across housing, family, public benefits, and consumer matters — directly comparable free civil legal services model and practice breadth.
• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: Major California non-profit legal aid organization delivering free civil legal services to low-income residents — directly comparable in practice areas (housing, family, immigration, consumer), free-service model, and federal/state funding mix.
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Georgia's largest non-profit legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income clients — directly comparable non-profit legal aid structure, practice area mix, and reliance on federal/state funding and donations.
• Greater Boston Legal Services: Massachusetts-based non-profit providing free civil legal aid to low-income residents across housing, family, immigration, and benefits — directly comparable public interest law firm model and service scope.
• Maryland Legal Aid: Statewide Maryland non-profit providing free civil legal services to low-income residents — directly comparable statewide footprint, practice area mix, and federal funding reliance.
• Colorado Legal Services: Statewide Colorado non-profit legal aid organization providing free civil legal help — directly comparable state-level scale, practice areas, and federal/state funding model.
• Legal Aid Society of New York: Largest U.S. civil legal aid organization providing free legal services to low-income New Yorkers across housing, family, immigration, and public benefits — directly comparable non-profit public interest law firm model, practice mix, and funding structure.
• Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County: Non-profit legal aid organization serving low-income residents of Los Angeles County with civil legal services — directly comparable free-service model, federal funding mix, and practice areas including immigration and housing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/legalaidhawaii
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legal-aid-society-of-hawaii

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 Legal Aid Society of Hawaii