Casa Cornelia Law Center

What Casa Cornelia Law Center does

Casa Cornelia Law Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public interest law firm founded in 1993 by the Society of the Holy Child Jesus, headquartered in Downtown San Diego, California. The organization provides free pro bono legal services to indigent immigrants in San Diego and Imperial Counties who are victims of human and civil rights violations, operating four core programs: the Asylum Program (representation for individuals fleeing persecution), the Children's Program (representation for detained unaccompanied immigrant children, where Casa Cornelia holds exclusive San Diego County coverage), the Victims of Crime Program (U Visas, T Visas, VAWA relief for survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and serious crimes), and the Community Legal Response Project (urgent limited-scope representation during heightened immigration enforcement). The Children's Program grew from 120 children served in 2001 to 232 in 2011, and Casa Cornelia responded to nearly 3,000 individuals in 2024 alone, bringing the cumulative total served since inception to over 10,000.

The firm is supported by a Volunteer Attorney Program drawing from major law firms including Latham & Watkins, Mayer Brown, Cooley, Sheppard Mullin, DLA Piper, Fragomen, and Paul Hastings, as well as a Volunteer Interpreters and Translators (VIT) Program and law clerk/undergraduate internship pipelines from California Western School of Law. The organization has no proprietary technology stack — its core capability is 30+ years of specialized institutional expertise in humanitarian immigration law. Casa Cornelia is led by Executive Director Carmen M. Chavez (25+ years tenure, 2020 City of San Diego proclamation, 2026 Prebys Leadership Award recipient), with Dr. Gloria Bader having retired as Board Chair in 2026 after 25+ years of governance service.

The business model is donation-dependent. Casa Cornelia generates no client fee revenue; all legal services are provided free of charge to eligible clients. Operating funding comes from individual donations, foundation grants (Las Patronas, Caster Family and A-1 Self Storage since 2010), corporate sponsorships from the San Diego legal community, and the annual La Mancha Awards fundraising event, which raised over $350,000 in 2018. The organization is governed by an independent Board of Directors, has no parent company, and operates as a private nonprofit entity. Go-to-market is community-led: clients are reached through referrals from social service organizations (Jewish Family Services, Center for Community Solutions), the San Diego Rapid Response Network, religious institutions, shelters, detention facilities, and the Immigration Legal Services Coalition of San Diego (ILSC) — a coalition Casa Cornelia co-founded with Jewish Family Services.

Name

Casa Cornelia Law Center

Legal name

Casa Cornelia Law Center

Website

https://casacornelia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Casa Cornelia Law Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public interest law firm founded in 1993 that provides free pro bono immigration legal services to indigent immigrants in San Diego and Imperial Counties. It operates four core programs — Asylum, Children's, Victims of Crime, and Community Legal Response — supported by volunteer attorneys and donor funding, serving nearly 3,000 clients annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Immigration Law (BPAHAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Immigration Legal Services & Representation (Law Firms) (THACAKAF)

Keywords

• Pro bono immigration law
• Asylum legal services
• Humanitarian immigration protection
• Victims of crime legal aid
• Unaccompanied children representation

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

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 Donations: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals to fund operations and legal programs.
2. La Mancha Awards Event: Annual fundraising event that generates sponsorship revenue and ticket sales to support Casa Cornelia's pro bono programs. In 2018, the event raised over $350,000.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as Las Patronas, the Caster Family, and A-1 Self Storage supports specific programs including the Children's Program and Victims of Crime Program.
4. Attorneys Who Care Campaign: Citywide fundraising challenge among San Diego legal community to raise funds for Casa Cornelia's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Casa Cornelia Law Center is a 501(c)(3) public interest law firm that provides free pro bono legal services to indigent immigrants in San Diego and Imperial Counties. Its core offerings span four programs: the Asylum Program (representation for asylum seekers facing persecution), the Children's Program (representation for detained and non-detained unaccompanied immigrant children), the Victims of Crime Program (U Visas, T Visas, and VAWA relief for survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, and other crimes), and the Community Legal Response Project (urgent legal information and limited-scope representation during immigration enforcement actions).

Product overview

Casa Cornelia Law Center operates as a nonprofit public interest law firm offering a unified suite of pro bono legal services organized around four core programs: the Asylum Program, Children's Program, Victims of Crime Program, and Community Legal Response Project. These programs are supported by the Volunteer Attorney Program and Volunteer Interpreters and Translators (VIT) Program, which enable the organization to extend its capacity through pro bono professionals. The organization also offers internship opportunities for law and undergraduate students and hosts the annual La Mancha Awards fundraising event. All services are provided free of charge to indigent immigrants in San Diego and Imperial Counties who qualify for humanitarian legal protections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asylum Program
• Children's Program
• Victims of Crime Program
• Community Legal Response Project
• Volunteer Attorney Program
• Volunteer Interpreters and Translators (VIT) Program
• Law Clerk and Administrative Assistant Internships
• La Mancha Awards

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 10,000 individuals served since 1993
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Partnerships

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

• Society of the Holy Child JesuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1993Founders of Casa Cornelia Law Center. The Society of the Holy Child Jesus established the organization to provide pro bono legal services to the immigrant community.
• Jewish Family Services of San DiegocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Community Legal Response Project, Casa Cornelia partnered with Jewish Family Services to create the Immigration Legal Services Coalition of San Diego (ILSC). The coalition collaboratively provides consultations, outreach, and immediate legal assistance through trusted partnering organizations. Individuals can call the ILSC hotline at (858)751-7553 to be connected.
• Immigration Legal Services Coalition of San Diego (ILSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaborative initiative providing consultations, outreach, and immediate limited-scope legal assistance through partner organizations. Operating hours are Monday through Friday, 9 am to 6 pm.
• Center for Community SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partner nonprofit organization serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault that refers clients to Casa Cornelia for legal help.
• Latham & Watkins LLPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor sponsor of the La Mancha Awards as Humanitarian Sponsor. Provides significant pro bono support including volunteer attorneys who have worked on asylum cases.
• Mayer Brown LLPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLaw firm where 2025 Distinguished Pro Bono Attorney of the Year Max DeWitt works. Major supporter of pro bono legal services.
• Cooley LLPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNamed 2025 Pro Bono Law Firm of the Year. Major provider of volunteer attorneys for Casa Cornelia's programs.
• Sheppard Mullin LLPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisionary Sponsor of La Mancha Awards, supporting Casa Cornelia's mission.
• DLA PipercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefender Sponsor of La Mancha Awards. Pro bono attorneys Liliana Menzie and Rebecca Roberts have received awards from Casa Cornelia.
• FragomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDefender Sponsor of La Mancha Awards. Immigration law firm supporting Casa Cornelia's mission.
• Paul Hastings LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChampion Sponsor of La Mancha Awards.
• California Western School of LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatron of Justice Sponsor. Many Casa Cornelia volunteers and externs come from California Western School of Law.
• Duane MorrisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPatron of Justice Sponsor of La Mancha Awards.
• San Diego Rapid Response NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCasa Cornelia is part of the SDRRN, an interconnected system of organizations responding to immigration enforcement activities including checkpoints, raids, and arrests in San Diego County.
• City Heights Community Law ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity location where volunteer attorneys visit to provide legal outreach and education to families in City Heights.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Public Counsel: Largest pro bono public interest law firm in Los Angeles, with a robust immigration practice serving asylum seekers, unaccompanied children, and survivors of crime — directly comparable mission, funding model, and pro bono delivery approach.
• Legal Aid Society of San Diego: Regional legal aid organization serving San Diego's low-income population including immigrants; overlapping geography and pro bono delivery model makes it a relevant operational peer for capacity and funding comparisons.
• Immigration Center for Women and Children (ICWC): Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing free legal services to survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and sexual assault through U Visas, T Visas, and VAWA — directly comparable to Casa Cornelia's Victims of Crime Program.
• Justice for Our Neighbors (JFON): Network of nonprofit immigration legal aid clinics providing low-cost and free representation to immigrants, including asylum and VAWA cases — comparable pro bono legal services model and faith-based nonprofit structure.
• Catholic Charities of San Diego — Refugee & Immigration Services: Faith-based nonprofit in the same service area providing immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, and humanitarian assistance — directly comparable mission, donor base, and program structure.
• Immigrant Defenders Law Center: Southern California-based nonprofit providing free immigration legal services to detained and non-detained immigrants, including unaccompanied children in removal proceedings — the closest operational peer to Casa Cornelia's Asylum and Children's Programs.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National nonprofit dedicated to providing pro bono legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children in removal proceedings — directly mirrors Casa Cornelia's Children's Program and shares the same pro bono law firm network.

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: International Jewish humanitarian organization providing refugee resettlement and asylum legal services globally — overlapping humanitarian immigration mission at a much larger scale, useful as an incumbent comparable.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Global humanitarian organization providing immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, and asylum support across the U.S. — comparable service portfolio and case mix but operating at significantly larger scale.

Others

• American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA): National bar association of immigration attorneys; not a service provider but a key ecosystem partner supplying Casa Cornelia's referral pipeline, volunteer attorneys, and pro bono recognition framework (e.g., the La Mancha Awards).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzJLnIKpGfxzeAm_ltNDq9w/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/CasaCorneliaLawCenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/casa-cornelia-law-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/casacornelialawcenter

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Casa Cornelia Law Center