FreeState Justice, Inc

What FreeState Justice, Inc does

FreeState Justice, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, that provides free legal representation, policy advocacy, and community education to low-income LGBTQ+ Marylanders. Formed in spring 2016 from the merger of FreeState Legal Project and Equality Maryland, the organization operates as Maryland's oldest and leading statewide LGBTQ+ legal nonprofit. Its service suite includes free legal services covering name changes, gender marker updates, discrimination matters, family law, expungements, estate planning, and protective orders, delivered through in-house counsel and a network of hundreds of pro bono attorneys; policy advocacy at the Maryland General Assembly; HIV decriminalization advocacy; resource navigation connecting clients to housing, healthcare, and public benefits; and tiered training services for law firms, corporations, government agencies, and bar associations priced between $200 and $750 per hour.

The organization's go-to-market is community-led: it conducts statewide outreach at Pride events and festivals, recruits pro bono attorneys and donors through its website and partner network, and relies on coalition-based referral channels (including the 19-organization Rainbow Roundtable it leads). Revenue is generated through individual and corporate donations via the tiered FreeState Unity Network monthly giving program, foundation and institutional grants (anchored by the Maryland Legal Services Corporation and the Meyer Foundation's Black Abundance Collective grant, the largest in organizational history), fee-based training engagements, and ticketed fundraising events including the annual Pride Soirée and the Pathway to Progress HIV summit.

Operationally, FreeState Justice runs with a small core staff (1-10) supplemented by interns, and is governed by a Board of Directors led by Board President Andrew Adelman, Esq. and Executive Director Phillip Westry, Esq. Its recent strategic emphasis is on advancing landmark state legislation (the Trans Shield Act and the Carlton R. Smith Jr. HIV Modernization Act), deepening community engagement through a formal partnership with BLAQ Equity Baltimore, and expanding institutional funding capacity — all while maintaining its core mission of pro bono legal services to LGBTQ+ Marylanders.

Name

FreeState Justice, Inc

Legal name

FreeState Justice, Inc

Website

https://freestate-justice.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FreeState Justice is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free legal services, policy advocacy, and community education to low-income LGBTQ+ Marylanders through in-house counsel and a statewide pro bono attorney network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB), Gender Equality & Women’s Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAD)

Keywords

• LGBTQ legal advocacy
• Pro bono legal services
• Policy advocacy services
• Community legal education
• Nonprofit legal aid

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

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. Individual and Corporate Donations: FreeState Justice relies on charitable contributions from individuals, law firms, corporations, and foundations. The organization operates a monthly giving program (FreeState Unity Network) with tiered membership levels and accepts one-time donations via its website and check.
2. Foundation and Institutional Grants: The organization receives grant funding from foundations (e.g., Meyer Foundation Black Abundance Collective — largest single grant in organizational history), government funders (Maryland Legal Services Corporation), and institutional funders listed in the annual report.
3. Training Fees: FreeState Justice charges fees for educational trainings delivered to law firms, corporations, government agencies, universities, and community organizations, with tiered hourly rates.
4. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticketed events including the annual Pride Soirée (sold at various ticket tiers) and Pathway to Progress HIV summit.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

FreeState Justice provides free legal representation and assistance to low-income LGBTQ+ Marylanders through in-house counsel and a pro bono attorney network, covering name changes, gender identity declarations, discrimination matters, family law, expungements, estate planning, and protective orders. The organization also conducts legislative policy advocacy at the Maryland General Assembly, leads HIV decriminalization advocacy, provides community resource navigation, delivers paid training and education to law firms and organizations, and operates the Rainbow Roundtable coalition and annual events including the Pride Soirée and Pathway to Progress Summit.

Product overview

FreeState Justice is Maryland's leading statewide legal nonprofit offering a comprehensive suite of services to LGBTQ+ Marylanders. The organization operates as a unified services model centered on free legal representation (through in-house counsel and pro bono attorney networks), legislative policy advocacy, community resource navigation, and educational training programs. Key offerings include the Free Legal Services Program covering name changes, discrimination cases, family law, and expungements; the Policy Advocacy Program with legislative tracking and coalition building; the HIV Advocacy Program which led the passage of the Carlton R. Smith Jr. HIV Modernization Act; the Resource Navigation Program providing referrals for housing, healthcare, and public benefits; the Training and Education Services for professionals; and annual events including the Pathway to Progress Summit and Pride Soirée. The FreeState Unity Network provides a structured donor membership program with tiered benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Free Legal Services Program Provides free legal representation and assistance to low-income LGBTQ+ Marylanders through in-house counsel and a network of pro bono attorneys, covering matters including name changes, gender identity declarations, discrimination cases, family law, expungements, estate planning, and protective orders.
• Policy Advocacy Program Legislative advocacy at the Maryland General Assembly to advance pro-LGBTQ+ legislation and oppose discriminatory bills, including a 2026 bill tracker covering HIV prevention, civil liberties, education access, health equity, housing justice, justice reform, labor justice, public safety, and racial justice.
• Resource Navigation Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving over 1,500 LGBTQ+ Marylanders annually through legal services and resource navigation
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BLAQ Equity BaltimorecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 October 2025FreeState Justice and BLAQ Equity Baltimore announced a formal strategic partnership in October 2025 designed to deepen community engagement and amplify support for Black, trans, and gender-expansive Marylanders. The partnership includes shared workspace (BLAQ Equity now operates from FreeState Justice's office), cross-organizational programming, and aligned advocacy initiatives. Together, the organizations aim to provide more comprehensive support to clients and build Baltimore and Maryland as a national model for LGBTQ+ inclusion.
• Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP (BGL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2025FreeState Justice partnered with civil rights law firm Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP in July 2025. The partnership includes hosting free legal clinics at BGL's Baltimore office for name changes and expungements, with pro bono attorneys trained by FreeState's Legal Director. BGL also sponsors FreeState's annual fundraiser and BGL attorney Lauren DiMartino joined FreeState's Board of Directors as chair of the Programs Committee.
• Maryland HIV Decriminalization CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreeState Justice leads Maryland's HIV Decriminalization Coalition, which is made up of people living with HIV, HIV service providers, and advocates working to expand PrEP/PEP access in Maryland. The coalition successfully passed the Carlton R. Smith Jr. HIV Modernization Act in 2025.
• Equality FederationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreeState Justice is a member of the Equality Federation, a national alliance of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, providing networking, resources, and coordinated advocacy capacity.
• Elijah Cummings Youth Ministry / AIDS Advocacy NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a sponsor/co-sponsor of the Pathway to Progress HIV advocacy event, representing HIV advocacy organizations and public health partners.
• Chase Brexton Health ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as an institutional funder and partner organization referenced in the Rainbow Roundtable coalition, providing healthcare services to LGBTQ+ Marylanders.
• Behavioral Health System BaltimoreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreeState Justice partners with Behavioral Health System Baltimore and the Maryland Recovery Network to connect community members with inclusive treatment programs, harm reduction services, and counseling resources tailored to LGBTQ+ needs.
• SOURCE (Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFreeState Justice's policy team partnered with SOURCE interns from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to conduct a community needs assessment, including ten in-depth interviews and one focus group with 15 LGBTQIA+ Marylanders to guide legislative priorities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Maryland Legal Aid: Statewide Maryland civil legal aid organization providing free legal services to low-income residents, comparable to FreeState's pro bono legal services program but without an LGBTQ+ focus.

Broad incumbents

• Human Rights Campaign (HRC): Largest national LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization working on policy and legislation, operating at a significantly larger scale than FreeState but pursuing overlapping legislative goals in state legislatures.
• Equality Federation: National federation of state-based LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations of which FreeState is a member, providing comparable policy advocacy infrastructure but at a federation/network level rather than direct service delivery.
• Lambda Legal: National LGBTQ+ legal organization providing impact litigation and direct legal services, with a similar direct-services-plus-policy-advocacy operating model but broader geographic footprint and larger staff than FreeState.
• PFLAG National: National LGBTQ+ family advocacy and support organization with chapter network, comparable to FreeState's community outreach and education model but without a direct legal services practice.
• Whitman-Walker Health: DC-based LGBTQ-focused health and legal organization offering legal services alongside healthcare, directly comparable to FreeState's HIV and transgender healthcare advocacy mission but with a clinical-services anchor.
• ACLU of Maryland: Maryland affiliate of the ACLU providing civil rights litigation and policy advocacy including LGBTQ+ rights work, comparable in geographic scope but broader in civil rights mandate than FreeState.

Direct peers

• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): National LGBTQ+ legal advocacy organization offering litigation, public policy, and direct legal services for LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV, directly comparable to FreeState's service mix.
• Transgender Law Center: National trans-led organization offering legal services, policy advocacy, and movement-building around transgender rights, directly comparable to FreeState's Trans Shield Act work and gender-affirming care advocacy.
• GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): New England-based LGBTQ+ legal organization delivering impact litigation, policy advocacy, and legal aid — the closest functional analog to FreeState at a multi-state scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FreeStateLGBTQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/FreeStateJustice
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freestate-justice

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 FreeState Justice, Inc