Legal Services of Northern Michigan

What Legal Services of Northern Michigan does

Legal Services of Northern Michigan (LSNM) is a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm founded in 1966 that provides free civil legal advice, representation, document preparation, negotiation, and court advocacy to low-income individuals, families, and senior citizens. Eligible clients are those with household income at or below 125% of the Federal poverty level (up to 187.5% under qualifying circumstances), subject to a $15,000 countable-asset threshold; seniors aged 60 and older are not subject to the financial eligibility test. The organization's service portfolio spans six practice areas — family law (including Personal Protection Orders and survivor-related custody matters), housing (eviction defense, foreclosure, predatory lending, HUD-approved housing counseling), consumer law, elder law, public benefits access, and education law (suspension/expulsion and special education rights). LSNM does not handle criminal matters or fee-generating civil cases due to LSC-imposed advocacy restrictions.

LSNM operates from six physical offices (Alpena, Escanaba, Gaylord, Houghton, Marquette, and Traverse City as headquarters) covering 36 counties across Northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, supplemented by a toll-free Out-County Assistance line for Gogebic, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Ogemaw, and Iosco counties. Client acquisition is community-led: intake is primarily phone-based, with in-person interviews at regional offices, and demand generation is driven by referral partnerships with Michigan Legal Help, the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic & Sexual Violence, the National Domestic Violence Hotline, and local community organizations, alongside staff outreach talks and the lsnm.org website. The organization is staffed by 15 lawyers plus support personnel and is governed by a board comprising attorneys, former clients, and partner-agency representatives.

The revenue model is a nonprofit grant-and-donation stack with no client fees: primary funding comes from the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC) plus other federal, state, and local government grants, supplemented by private foundation and individual donations channeled through the Michigan State Bar Foundation's Access to Justice Campaign, and dedicated senior-services funding from Area Agencies on Aging Regions 9, 10 & 11. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Legal Services of Northern Michigan

Legal name

Legal Services of Northern Michigan, Inc.

Website

https://lsnm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Legal Services of Northern Michigan is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm, founded in 1966, that provides free civil legal aid across 36 counties in Northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. A staff of 15 lawyers plus support serves income-eligible clients and seniors in housing, family, consumer, elder law, benefits, and education matters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAFAC

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Justice System (Courts, Prosecution & Corrections)

SECONDARYBPAIACAK

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Local/Municipal Government Administration

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Nonprofit legal services
• Free legal representation
• Housing counseling agency
• Elder law services

Headquarters

HQ city

Escanaba

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: Primary funding from grants from federal, state, and local governments and agencies. The organization receives funding from the federal Legal Services Corporation (LSC) and is subject to federally-imposed advocacy restrictions.
2. Private Donations: Donations from private foundations and individuals. The organization is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Participation in Access to Justice Campaign administered by Michigan State Bar Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Legal Services of Northern Michigan is a nonprofit law firm that delivers free civil legal advice, document preparation, negotiation, and court representation to income-eligible individuals and seniors across 36 counties in Northern Michigan. Services span family law, housing, consumer issues, elder law, government benefits, and education law, delivered through phone intake and six regional offices.

Product overview

Legal Services of Northern Michigan is a nonprofit law firm providing free civil legal services to eligible low-income clients. The organization operates as a single unified service offering with multiple practice areas including family law, housing, consumer issues, elder law, benefits assistance, and education law. Services range from brief advice and information to full legal representation in court. LSNM is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency and maintains 6 offices across 36 counties in Northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. The organization does not handle criminal matters or cases that generate fees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Family Law Legal Services
• Housing Legal Services

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• State Bar of MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Access to Justice Campaign. Works with Michigan State Bar Foundation to increase resources for 14 regional and statewide civil legal aid programs in Michigan.
• Michigan Legal HelpsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide website providing free legal information for people representing themselves in court. LSNM refers clients to Michigan Legal Help when the organization cannot represent them.
• HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSNM is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, providing education and representation for landlord-tenant and homeowner problems.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Lakeshore Legal Aid: Michigan-based LSC-funded legal aid program covering southeastern and mid-Michigan counties with civil legal services for low-income residents. Direct peer to LSNM in mission (free civil legal aid), funding model (LSC grantee), and service portfolio, but operates in a different geographic region of the state.
• Legal Aid of Western Michigan: Formerly the Western Michigan Legal Aid, this LSC-funded nonprofit provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals across West Michigan. Direct peer operating the same LSC-funded legal aid model in an adjacent but non-overlapping Michigan service area.
• Michigan Poverty Law Program: Statewide LSC-funded support center providing training, litigation support, and advocacy resources to Michigan's legal aid field. Comparable in funding structure (LSC) and beneficiary base (Michigan legal aid clients), but functions as a support center rather than direct service provider.

Broad incumbents

• AARP Foundation: National nonprofit that funds and operates legal services for low-income seniors, including state-based elder law initiatives. Comparable as a funder and operator of free civil legal services for the senior population that LSNM also prioritizes, though at a much larger national scale.
• State Bar of Michigan Access to Justice: The State Bar of Michigan administers the Access to Justice Campaign and coordinates support for 14 regional and statewide civil legal aid programs, including LSNM. Comparable as a funder/convener in the Michigan legal aid ecosystem, though not a direct service provider.
• National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): National membership and advocacy organization for the civil legal aid and public defense community. Comparable as the apex convening body for LSNM's sector, with similar funder/government relationships but operating at a national scale rather than direct service.

Regional players

• Michigan Indigent Defense Commission: State agency overseeing the delivery of criminal defense services to indigent defendants in Michigan. Adjacent peer sharing a mission of legal services for low-income Michigan residents, but operating on the criminal defense side that LSNM explicitly does not cover.
• Center for Civil Justice: Saginaw-based nonprofit providing free civil legal aid to low-income residents in east-central Michigan, also funded in part by LSC. Operates the same LSC-funded legal aid model in a different Michigan region with overlapping client populations (benefits, housing, family).

Emerging players

• Michigan Immigrant Rights Center (MIRC): Michigan-based nonprofit providing free immigration legal services to low-income immigrants, partially funded by LSC and state sources. Comparable in legal aid structure and funding mix but with a narrower immigration-focused practice scope.

Others

• Michigan Elder Law Section (State Bar of Michigan): Professional section within the State Bar of Michigan focused on elder law practice. Thematically related to LSNM's elder law service line, serving overlapping client communities and shared referral relationships, though functioning as a professional association rather than a service provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legal-services-of-northern-michigan

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Legal Services of Northern Michigan