Carpls

What Carpls does

CARPLS is a 501(c)(3) legal aid nonprofit founded in 1993 as the first legal aid hotline in the United States, headquartered in Chicago and serving low- and moderate-income residents of Cook County and statewide Illinois. The organization provides free legal consultations—over 89,000 in the past year and more than 1 million cumulatively across 13 practice areas including eviction, foreclosure, consumer debt, bankruptcy, employment, criminal record expungement, family-adjacent matters, and civil rights. Service delivery runs through a primary legal aid hotline, three court-based advice desks embedded in Cook County courthouses, and a set of specialized statewide hotlines operated in partnership with government and nonprofit coalitions (CCLAHD, IL-AFLAN, COVID H.E.L.P., Eviction Help Illinois, New Leaf Illinois).

The technology stack centers on a custom case management software used by staff attorneys to deliver brief legal services, review and draft documents, and route referrals to social and legal services providers. An AI-powered virtual assistant/chatbot handles initial client intake and answers basic legal questions, supplementing attorney-staffed channels. Staff attorneys carry 25+ years of average professional experience and the organization offers bilingual Spanish/English support. The website also serves as a content marketing surface (Everyday Justice Blog) and a partner-distribution channel via downloadable flyers.

CARPLS is funded entirely through donations, grants from foundations (Chicago Bar Foundation, Illinois Bar Foundation, Illinois Equal Justice Foundation, Legal Research Institute), and fundraising events such as the annual Golden Gavel Gala. The organization reports that 85 cents of every dollar raised goes directly into client services. There is no charge to eligible clients—pricing is effectively zero—and the organization generates no commercial revenue. Governance is provided by a Board of Directors, a Professionals Board, and an Advisory Board, with Executive Director Al Schwartz, who has led the organization since its founding in 1993.

Name

Carpls

Legal name

CARPLS

Website

https://carpls.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CARPLS is a 501(c)(3) legal aid nonprofit, founded in 1993 as the first legal aid hotline in the U.S., providing free legal consultations across 13 practice areas to low- and moderate-income residents of Cook County and Illinois via hotlines, court-based advice desks, and statewide partner programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: CARPLS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization funded by donations and grants. 85 cents of every dollar raised goes directly into client services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CARPLS provides free legal aid services to low- and moderate-income residents of Cook County and Illinois through a telephone hotline, three court-based advice desks, and six specialized hotlines covering 13 practice areas including eviction, foreclosure, consumer debt, bankruptcy, employment, cannabis record expungement, criminal matters, and civil rights. Staff attorneys deliver brief legal services (advice, document review/drafting, and referrals) using proprietary case management software, with an AI-powered virtual assistant handling initial intake.

Product overview

CARPLS operates as a legal aid nonprofit offering multiple hotline and advice desk services. The core offering includes the CARPLS Hotline providing legal consultations, supplemented by court-based CARPLS Advice Desks. Specialized hotlines include the CCLAHD Hotline (Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt), Veterans Legal Aid Hotline (IL-AFLAN), COVID H.E.L.P. Illinois, Eviction Help Illinois Hotline, and New Leaf Illinois Hotline for cannabis record expungement. A Virtual Assistant chat feature provides initial automated assistance. These services collectively serve Cook County and statewide Illinois residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CARPLS Hotline Primary legal aid hotline providing direct consultations with experienced attorneys for low- and moderate-income residents of Cook County and Illinois on 13 practice areas including eviction, foreclosure, consumer debt, bankruptcy, employment, and criminal record expungement.
• CARPLS Advice Desks Three court-based advice desks providing free in-person legal guidance at Cook County courthouses for residents navigating legal matters.
• CCLAHD Hotline Cook County Legal Aid for Housing and Debt Hotline, part of the Early Resolution Program (ERP), providing free legal assistance for housing and debt matters to Cook County residents.
• Veterans Legal Aid Hotline (IL-AFLAN) Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network hotline providing free legal assistance to veterans, active U.S. military personnel, and their dependents on legal issues unique to military service.
• COVID H.E.L.P. Illinois Legal assistance hotline providing free help for COVID-related legal issues affecting Illinois residents; recognized with the American Bar Association Select Award in 2021.
• Eviction Help Illinois Hotline Statewide hotline providing free eviction-related legal assistance to Illinois residents facing eviction or housing loss.
• New Leaf Illinois Hotline Statewide cannabis record expungement assistance hotline helping Illinoisans clear old marijuana-related criminal records through the New Leaf Illinois program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89,000+ consultations provided last year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt (CCLAHD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCARPLS is a partner with the Cook County Legal Aid for Housing & Debt Early Resolution Program (ERP), providing housing and debt-related legal assistance to Cook County residents.
• New Leaf IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide cannabis record expungement project launched in 2020, helping Illinoisans clear old marijuana convictions.
• Illinois Armed Forces Legal Aid Network (IL-AFLAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans legal aid hotline providing free legal services to veterans, active military, and their dependents.
• COVID HELP IllinoismajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOVID-related legal assistance program that won the ABA Select Award in 2021.
• Eviction Help IllinoiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide eviction prevention hotline helping Illinois residents facing eviction.
• Chicago-Kent College of LawminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPilot project with Chicago-Kent College of Law to provide legal services through law student volunteers, honoring veterans.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Lone Star Legal Aid: Texas-based civil legal aid provider serving low-income communities across 72 counties. Comparable as a regional legal aid nonprofit with broad practice areas and statewide hotline models.
• Bay Area Legal Aid: Northern California civil legal aid organization serving low-income residents with housing, public benefits, and consumer issues. Comparable as a regional legal aid nonprofit, though operating in a different state.
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Provides free civil legal services to low-income residents of the Atlanta metro area across housing, family, and consumer law. Comparable as a regional legal aid nonprofit, though operating in a different state.
• Michigan Legal Aid / Michigan Indigent Defense Commission: Michigan statewide legal aid resource connecting low-income residents with attorneys and self-help tools. Comparable as a statewide access-to-justice platform, though operating in a different state.

Direct peers

• Legal Aid Chicago: Cook County-based civil legal aid organization providing free legal services in housing, family, consumer, and immigration law. Operates in the same geography as CARPLS with overlapping practice areas and target clients, making it the closest direct peer.
• Illinois Legal Aid Online: Statewide legal aid platform for Illinois providing self-help resources, legal information, and referrals for low-income residents. Comparable as a statewide access-to-justice organization, with overlap through online intake and referral pathways.
• Legal Aid Society (New York): Largest civil legal aid provider in New York City, delivering free legal services across housing, family, consumer, and public benefits matters. Directly comparable as a city/county-level legal aid nonprofit with hotline and direct-representation services for low-income residents.

Others

• Chicago Bar Foundation: Charitable arm of the Chicago Bar Association that funds legal aid organizations including CARPLS. Adjacent/funder relationship rather than direct service competitor, but materially comparable as a nonprofit legal aid ecosystem participant.

Broad incumbents

• National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): National membership and advocacy organization for civil legal aid and public defense providers. Comparable as the broader umbrella organization supporting organizations like CARPLS, with influence over funding and policy rather than direct client services.

Emerging players

• Pro Bono Net: National nonprofit that builds technology and resource platforms for the civil legal aid sector, including LawHelp.org and state access portals. Comparable as an access-to-justice organization that intersects with CARPLS' virtual assistant and intake technology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CARPLSLegal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Carpls