Children's Legal Center

What Children's Legal Center does

Children's Legal Center is a Chicago-based nonprofit organization founded in 2018 that provides free immigration legal services to vulnerable children and families. Its client base consists of unaccompanied immigrant children, refugees and asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, victims of domestic violence, and families with children eligible for immigration protections. The organization delivers services across multiple immigration relief pathways, including asylum petitions, VAWA petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U Visas, T Visas, and removal proceedings defense, and is approved by the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) as a Pro Bono Service Provider for court representation.

The service model is built on volunteer labor — licensed attorneys, interpreters, mental health professionals, and social workers — augmented by a small paid staff of 1-10 employees. Client acquisition occurs through weekly intake sessions at the Chicago office and via partnerships with WINGS (Metro Chicago domestic violence services), Courage Connection (Central Illinois domestic violence services), and domestic violence shelters. Multilingual capabilities span English, Spanish, Dari, Farsi, and Pashto. A student internship program supports law students and Spanish-speaking undergraduates.

The organization is funded primarily through donations, small-scale fundraising events, and raffles, supplemented by clothing donations distributed to clients. It previously held a federal government contract to provide legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant children as part of a network of nearly 100 legal aid organizations serving approximately 20,000 children; that contract has expired and the network is owed approximately $65 million in unpaid bills. The organization does not charge clients, has no proprietary technology platform, and operates exclusively within Illinois.

Name

Children's Legal Center

Legal name

Children's Legal Center

Website

https://childrenslegalcenterchicago.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Children's Legal Center is a Chicago-based nonprofit providing free immigration legal services to unaccompanied children, refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of trafficking and domestic violence across Illinois, delivered through volunteer attorneys and partner organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Immigration Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119), Individual and Family Services (6241), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADAHAE

Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPADAHAF

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Safeguarding)

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Refugee, Migration & Displacement Services

SECONDARYBPADAGAG

Child Rights & Protection

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

SECONDARYEDAAAFAI

Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Community & Public Education Programs (Libraries, Community Centers)

Keywords

• Immigration legal services
• Pro bono legal aid
• Asylum representation
• Child advocacy
• Refugee support

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Children's Legal Center operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations from individuals, corporate sponsors, and fundraising events. The organization accepts monetary donations through its website and hosts raffles and fundraising programs to support operations.
2. Government Contracts (Former): Previously, the organization received federal government contracts to provide legal representation for unaccompanied immigrant children. The expired contract had funded a network of nearly 100 legal aid organizations. The organization is currently owed approximately $65 million in unpaid bills from the halted federal contract.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Children's Legal Center provides free immigration legal representation and services to vulnerable children, families, refugees, asylum seekers, unaccompanied minors, and victims of human trafficking and domestic violence. Services include asylum petitions, VAWA petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U Visas, T Visas, and removal proceedings defense, delivered through weekly intakes, partner organization referrals, and direct office-based legal screenings.

Product overview

Children's Legal Center is a nonprofit legal services organization providing free immigration legal representation to vulnerable children and families. The organization operates as a single integrated service model offering multiple immigration relief pathways including asylum, VAWA petitions, Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS), U Visas, and T Visas. Services are delivered through weekly intake sessions, partnerships with domestic violence organizations (WINGS, Courage Connection), and as an EOIR-approved Pro Bono Service Provider for removal proceedings. The organization supplements its legal services with clothing donations and operates a volunteer program including licensed attorneys, interpreters, mental health professionals, social workers, and student internships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asylum Petitions Legal representation for asylum applications filed with USCIS and defensive asylum cases in Immigration Court for children who have suffered persecution.
• VAWA Petitions (Violence Against Women Act) Immigration relief available to children and families of U.S. Citizens who are victims of domestic abuse.
• SIJS (Special Immigrant Juvenile Status) Immigration protection for children who are victims of abuse, neglect, or abandonment by a parent(s).
• U Visas Immigration relief for victims of qualifying crimes who have suffered substantial mental or physical abuse.
• T Visas Immigration protection for victims of human trafficking who comply with law enforcement requirements.
• Removal Proceedings Representation Free immigration legal services for children facing removal (deportation) proceedings, provided as an EOIR-approved Pro Bono Service Provider.
• Immigration Legal Screenings Free monthly and quarterly immigration legal screenings provided through partnerships with organizations like WINGS and Courage Connection, offering initial eligibility assessments for immigration relief.
• Weekly Intakes Weekly intake sessions with partnering organizations across Illinois to assess potential clients for eligibility for immigration relief.
• Services for Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence Victims Free quarterly immigration legal screenings and legal services provided through partnership with Courage Connection for victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.

Quantifiable outcome

• Asylum case approved within 3 months of application

Named customers4 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.

• WINGScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWINGS is a non-profit domestic violence service provider in Metro Chicago. Through this partnership, Children's Legal Center provides free monthly immigration legal screenings and free immigration legal services to any victims seeking relief from domestic violence.
• Courage ConnectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCourage Connection is a non-profit domestic violence service provider in Central Illinois. Through this partnership, Children's Legal Center provides free quarterly immigration legal screenings and free immigration legal services to victims of human trafficking and domestic violence.
• Domestic Violence ShelterscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with domestic violence shelters where bilingual advocates work with survivors. An advocate at one such shelter helped Heather and her children escape and connect with Children's Legal Center for legal representation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Tahirih Justice Center: Tahirih Justice Center provides free immigration legal services and social support to immigrant women and girls fleeing violence, including asylum and VAWA work - closely matching Children's Legal Center's domestic-violence and trafficking survivor client segments.
• Immigration Equality: Immigration Equality provides free legal services to LGBTQ and HIV-positive asylum seekers and immigrants, including children. Overlaps with Children's Legal Center in immigration legal aid, asylum work, and EOIR-recognized representation.
• RAICES: RAICES is one of the largest immigration legal services nonprofits in the U.S., providing free and low-cost representation to immigrant children, families, and asylum seekers - directly overlapping Children's Legal Center's service portfolio and EOIR-pro-bono positioning.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): KIND is the leading U.S. nonprofit dedicated to providing free legal representation to unaccompanied immigrant and refugee children, mirroring Children's Legal Center's core mission, client base, and pro bono delivery model.
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP): NWIRP provides free immigration legal services to low-income immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, including unaccompanied minors, asylum seekers, and trafficking victims. Comparable in mission and pro bono legal delivery model, though regionally focused.

Broad incumbents

• HIAS: HIAS is a longstanding international refugee resettlement and legal services organization providing immigration legal aid, resettlement, and integration support globally - overlapping with Children's Legal Center's refugee and asylum legal work but at much larger scale.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): IRC delivers a broad portfolio of refugee resettlement, immigration legal services, and humanitarian support across the U.S. Their immigration legal aid programs serve asylum seekers and refugees similarly to Children's Legal Center but as part of a wider humanitarian operation.
• Catholic Charities (Immigration Legal Services): Catholic Charities operates one of the largest networks of BIA-accredited immigration legal services programs in the U.S., serving unaccompanied minors, refugees, and trafficking survivors via local offices that closely resemble Children's Legal Center's service model.

Regional players

• Legal Aid Foundation (LAF): LAF is a Chicago-based legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income residents, including immigration-related matters. Comparable in free legal services model and Illinois geography, though LAF covers broader civil legal areas beyond immigration.
• The Resurrection Project: The Resurrection Project is a Chicago-based nonprofit offering immigration legal services, civic engagement, and community organizing to immigrant families in Illinois - directly comparable in geography, client base, and bilingual legal aid focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/childrenlglcntr
• Facebookfacebook.com/childrenslegalcenterchicago
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childrens-legal-center-chicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/clcchicago

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Children's Legal Center