Arizona Justice Project

What Arizona Justice Project does

The Arizona Justice Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1998 and headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, at 4001 N 3rd Street, Suite 401. It is the fifth innocence organization formed in the United States and a member of the Innocence Network, a coalition of 71 innocence organizations worldwide. The organization provides free legal representation to individuals who claim wrongful conviction or manifest injustice within Arizona's criminal justice system, operating through an application-based intake and case screening process that has reviewed thousands of submissions since inception.

Its core service offerings include post-conviction relief proceedings, clemency applications, courtroom advocacy, re-entry social work support, and legislative advocacy for criminal justice reform. Notable operational outcomes include freeing 51 individuals from incarceration over 25+ years and catalyzing passage of SB1500 in June 2025, which made Arizona the 41st state to provide compensation and expungement for the wrongfully convicted. The organization is staffed by a small team of approximately 11-50 personnel including staff attorneys, a social work director, a communications coordinator, and a fellowship pipeline in partnership with ASU's Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law and the Lodestar Foundation.

The organization operates as a fundraising-led nonprofit with no product revenue. Its revenue mechanics rely on individual donations, foundation grants, Arizona Charitable Tax Credits (QCO code 20725), and an annual gala with tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $3,000 to $25,000. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is conducted through legal staff, interns, externs, and volunteer attorneys. Marketing is executed via earned media, social channels, email newsletters, and community events such as the annual Wrongful Conviction Day.

Name

Arizona Justice Project

Legal name

Arizona Justice Project

Website

https://azjusticeproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Arizona Justice Project is a Phoenix-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides free legal representation to wrongfully convicted and manifest-injustice individuals in Arizona, supported by donations, foundation grants, and an annual fundraising gala.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wrongful Conviction Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Litigation Support & Expert Witness Services (BPAHALAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH)

Keywords

• Wrongful conviction representation
• Post-conviction legal services
• Criminal justice reform
• Innocence project advocacy
• Exoneration legal aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

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: The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations. Donations are tax-deductible and the organization qualifies for Arizona's Charitable Tax Credit program.
2. Sponsorships and Gala Revenue: Annual fundraising gala generates sponsorship revenue from law firms, corporations, and individuals. Corporate sponsorships at various tiers (Fellow $3,000, Defender $6,000, Champion $12,000, Presenter $25,000).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Arizona Justice Project provides free legal case review and representation to individuals in Arizona who claim wrongful conviction or manifest injustice, including post-conviction relief proceedings, clemency applications, and courtroom advocacy. It also delivers re-entry social work support and pursues legislative advocacy to reform Arizona's criminal justice system.

Product overview

The Arizona Justice Project is a nonprofit legal services organization (not a technology product company) offering a unified set of advocacy and legal services focused on exonerating the wrongfully convicted and correcting manifest injustices in Arizona's criminal justice system. The core offerings consist of legal case review and representation services, re-entry support through social work programs, legislative advocacy for criminal justice reform, and case application screening. The organization operates primarily through volunteer attorneys, staff, and partnerships rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Case Review and Representation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 51 people freed from incarceration since 1998
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Larry Hammond (Osborn Maledon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded the Arizona Justice Project in 1998 along with Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice. Hammond served as President for 23 years and provided guidance and assistance. Also helped found the Innocence Network in 2003.
• Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law (ASU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw school partnership through internship programs and post-conviction clinic collaborations. Oumou Keita, the Larry Hammond Justice Fellow, is a graduate of this law school.
• Innocence NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the Innocence Network coalition, which consists of 71 organizations worldwide working to free innocent people and prevent wrongful convictions. The Arizona Justice Project is the 5th innocence organization formed in the US (1998).
• ACLU of ArizonaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKhalil Rushdan, exoneree and board member, serves as Community Partnership Coordinator at ACLU of Arizona for the SMART Justice Campaign, helping educate and combat mass incarceration and racial disparities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Kansas Innocence Project: State-level innocence organization providing post-conviction review for Kansas inmates; closest peer in scale and single-state mission to AJP.
• New England Innocence Project: Multi-state innocence organization serving New England; shares the post-conviction litigation and reform mandate with AJP but operates in a different geography.

Direct peers

• Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions: Northwestern University law school-based innocence clinic investigating and litigating wrongful conviction claims; comparable legal-clinic model to AJP's pro bono post-conviction practice.
• Ohio Innocence Project: Cincinnati-based innocence organization focused on Ohio exonérations and reform; runs a single-state legal clinic and policy program parallel to AJP's Arizona-based work.
• Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project: Regional innocence organization serving multiple states; uses litigation and policy reform to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals and address manifest injustice—comparable mission to AJP.
• Innocence Project: Flagship U.S. innocence organization founded in 1992; uses DNA/post-conviction litigation to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals through legal clinics and policy advocacy—directly comparable model to AJP.
• California Innocence Project: California State University-affiliated innocence organization providing pro bono post-conviction representation and policy advocacy; same single-state innocence-clinic operating model as AJP.

Others

• Innocence Network: Coalition of 71+ innocence organizations worldwide that AJP co-founded through Larry Hammond in 2003; the umbrella body organizing shared advocacy, training, and standards across member clinics like AJP.

Emerging players

• ACLU of Arizona (Smart Justice Campaign): Adjacent criminal-justice reform organization focused on mass incarceration and racial disparities; collaborates with AJP via board member Khalil Rushdan, overlapping reform mandate.

Broad incumbents

• ABA Center for Human Rights: National bar-association program providing pro bono legal support and rights advocacy; broader portfolio but comparable pro bono legal-services and justice-reform mission to AJP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ArizonaJP
• Facebookfacebook.com/azjusticeproject
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arizona-justice-project

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Arizona Justice Project