North Penn Legal Services

What North Penn Legal Services does

North Penn Legal Services, Inc. (NPLS) is a Pennsylvania-incorporated nonprofit legal aid organization founded in 1964 and headquartered in Pittston, Pennsylvania. It provides free civil legal aid to low-income individuals and families (those at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level) across 20 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania: Bradford, Carbon, Clinton, Columbia, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Monroe, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Pike, Snyder, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wayne, and Wyoming. Core practice areas include eviction defense, family law (custody, divorce, child support), consumer protection (bankruptcy, debt collection, utilities), public benefits (SNAP, Medicaid, TANF), Social Security disability, mortgage foreclosure, fair housing, employment barriers, and Protection From Abuse orders. In FY2024-2025, NPLS helped 16,804 people, handled 10,443 cases, and reported $3.8 million in economic impact; an additional 168 pro bono cases were coordinated through its volunteer attorney network.

Service delivery is omnichannel but non-technological: 10 physical offices across the service area, a telephone helpline (877-953-4250), the statewide online intake portal palegalaid.net built with PLAN, Inc., a self-help Resource Library of handbooks and videos, and a Pro Bono Program engaging volunteer attorneys. The organization explicitly operates without proprietary technology. Revenue comes from Legal Services Corporation (LSC) federal grants as the primary funder, supplemented by Pennsylvania IOLTA, United Way of Greater Lehigh Valley, cy pres awards, individual donations, and planned giving. The 10 offices are led by named Managing Attorneys (Sarah Andrew and Scott Williams in Bethlehem; Cici Stafiuc in Stroudsburg; Jennifer Heverly in Williamsport; John Byrd in Sunbury; Stephen Fernando in Honesdale; John Hurtt as Deputy Director for Legal Advocacy in Pittston/Bloomsburg), under Executive Director Lori A. Molloy, Esq. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, with Evangelina Shelly listed as a board contact, and operates as an independent 501(c)-style nonprofit with no parent company, no private equity or venture backing, and no subsidiaries.

Name

North Penn Legal Services

Legal name

North Penn Legal Services, Inc.

Website

https://nplspa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

North Penn Legal Services is a Pennsylvania nonprofit founded in 1964 that provides free civil legal aid to low-income residents across 20 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania through 10 offices, a telephone helpline, and a statewide online intake portal, funded primarily by Legal Services Corporation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Legal representation
• Nonprofit legal services
• Community legal education
• Pro bono legal services

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Corporation Funding: Primary federal funding through Legal Services Corporation (LSC) as a condition of receiving support. LSC provides grants to legal aid organizations with restrictions on activities.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and organizational donations support operations. Cy pres awards from class action lawsuits and arbitration fee donations are also accepted.
3. Planned Giving: Charitable planned giving programs allow donors to include NPLS in estate planning.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

North Penn Legal Services provides free civil legal aid to low-income individuals and families across 20 counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania, covering non-criminal matters such as housing/eviction, family law, consumer protection, public benefits, and domestic violence protection. Services include direct legal representation, telephone helpline advice, online applications via a statewide portal, community legal education, self-help resource libraries, video workshops, and a pro bono volunteer attorney program. All services are provided at no charge to clients who qualify under Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.

Product overview

North Penn Legal Services is a nonprofit organization providing free civil legal aid to low-income residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania across 20 counties. The organization offers a unified service model combining individual legal representation (from document preparation to litigation), a telephone helpline for information and referrals, an online application system partnered with the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network, community legal education through workshops and resources, and a Pro Bono Program engaging volunteer attorneys. The core offerings include the Resource Library with handbooks and videos, Video Workshops covering topics like Protection From Abuse, and Local Resources & Lawyer Referrals organized by county and legal issue.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Civil Legal Aid Services Free civil legal representation and assistance for low-income residents in Northeastern Pennsylvania, covering non-criminal matters such as eviction, housing discrimination, family law, consumer protection, and public benefits.
• Telephone Helpline

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,804 people helped and 10,443 cases handled in Fiscal Year 2024-2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• PLAN, Inc. (Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide network of civil legal aid providers. NPLS partners with PLAN to create statewide online tools for requesting civil legal assistance.
• Pennsylvania Courts (AOPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdministrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts provides court resources and self-help information, including protection order guidance integrated into NPLS services.
• Local Domestic Violence AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordination with local domestic violence organizations to provide comprehensive services including temporary shelter, emergency housing, counseling, and legal assistance for victims and families.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MidPenn Legal Services: A fellow Pennsylvania LSC-funded legal aid organization serving central Pennsylvania counties. Directly comparable in mission, funding model (LSC grants), and service delivery (free civil legal aid for low-income residents).
• Philadelphia Legal Assistance: LSC-funded legal aid provider serving Philadelphia County. Comparable as a Pennsylvania legal aid society providing free civil legal services with similar funding structure and service model, though serving a more urban population.
• Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania: LSC-funded legal aid provider serving southeastern Pennsylvania counties including Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery. Comparable in nonprofit legal aid model, federal funding structure, and civil legal service offerings.
• Community Legal Services of Philadelphia: LSC-funded legal aid provider serving Philadelphia. Comparable nonprofit legal aid model serving low-income clients with civil legal services including housing, family law, and public benefits matters.
• Southwestern Pennsylvania Legal Aid: LSC-funded legal aid provider serving southwestern Pennsylvania. Directly comparable as a Pennsylvania-based legal aid society providing free civil legal services to low-income populations with similar service areas and funding sources.
• Northwest Legal Aid: LSC-funded legal aid provider serving northwestern Pennsylvania. Directly comparable in mission, service delivery model, and LSC funding relationship for free civil legal aid to low-income clients.

Others

• LawHelp.org: National directory and resource platform connecting low-income clients to legal aid providers. Adjacent as an ecosystem enabler that helps direct clients to NPLS and other legal aid organizations.
• Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network (PLAN): Statewide network of civil legal aid providers that coordinates NPLS's online application portal (palegalaid.net). Adjacent as an enabling infrastructure partner rather than a direct competitor.
• Pro Bono Net: National nonprofit supporting legal aid pro bono programs through technology and training. Adjacent as an enabling organization that supports volunteer engagement models similar to NPLS's pro bono program.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Services Corporation: The federal funder of civil legal aid for low-income Americans. While not a direct service provider, LSC is the umbrella organization that channels federal funding to NPLS and all comparable legal aid organizations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@northpennlegalservices
• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthPennLegalServices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/north-penn-legal-services

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 North Penn Legal Services