QLaw

What QLaw does

QLaw Association is a voluntary, nonprofit bar association for LGBTQ+ lawyers and other legal professionals in the State of Washington, founded in 2005 by Michael Heath and Beth Barrett Bloom through the Washington State Bar Association Leadership Institute. The organization operates under the legal name "QLaw: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington" and functions as a community membership body rather than a technology company, with no proprietary software product, APIs, or mobile app of its own. Its core offerings consist of a tiered Membership Program ($10–$75/year or free for law students) that unlocks access to a Member Directory, LGBTQ+ Job Board, Mentorship Program, free or reduced-rate Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programming, and committee participation. Specialized outputs include the LGBTQ+ Judicial Directory, the WA Judges' Bench Guide on the LGBTQ Community and the Law, and nonpartisan Judicial Candidate Ratings produced through a Judicial Evaluation Committee. The organization is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and operates a parallel 501(c)(3) entity, the QLaw Foundation, which runs the At-Risk Youth Committee and Summer Public Interest Grant Program. Membership management is administered through a Wild Apricot platform, and the organization runs an annual banquet (now in its 21st year as of 2026), quarterly happy hours, and other social events throughout Washington State.

Name

QLaw

Legal name

QLaw: The GLBT Bar Association of Washington

Website

https://qlaw.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

QLaw Association is a Washington State voluntary bar association founded in 2005 that provides membership, networking, mentorship, judicial ratings, and advocacy services to LGBTQ+ legal professionals in Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

Keywords

• Legal professional association
• Bar association services
• LGBTQ+ legal advocacy
• Professional networking
• Legal education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: QLaw generates revenue through annual membership dues paid by legal professionals. Tiers are based on career stage: $25/year for lawyers 0-5 years or solo/government/non-profit; $50/year for lawyers 5-10 years; $75/year for lawyers 10+ years; $10/year for other legal professionals (retired/inactive attorneys, paralegals, etc.); free for law students. Membership runs for one year from registration date.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

QLaw is a nonprofit voluntary bar association that provides a tiered annual membership program (free for law students up to $75/year for attorneys with 10+ years) giving LGBTQ+ legal professionals in Washington access to networking events, CLEs, a mentorship program, an LGBTQ+ job board, a member directory, judicial candidate ratings, the LGBTQ+ Judicial Directory, the WA Judges' Bench Guide, and committee-driven advocacy and community programming.

Product overview

QLaw Association is a voluntary professional bar association for LGBTQ+ lawyers and legal professionals in Washington state, offering a portfolio of member-facing services organized around networking, mentorship, professional development, and advocacy. The core offering is its tiered Membership Program, which serves as the umbrella for access to all other services including a LGBTQ+ Job Board, a Mentorship Program, a Member Directory, CLE programming, and social events. Specialized program products include the Judicial Candidate Ratings (by the Judicial Evaluation Committee), the LGBTQ+ Judicial Directory (published in partnership with state commissions), the WA Judges' Bench Guide on the LGBTQ Community and the Law, and Law Enforcement Ratings via the Washington Coalition of Minority Legal Professionals. The organization's annual programming culminates in its Annual Banquet, a major fundraising event. QLaw is not a technology product company; all offerings are membership-based professional association services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Tiered annual membership ($25/$50/$75 by years in practice, $10 for other legal professionals, free for law students) granting access to the LGBTQ+ Job Board, Mentoring Program, Member Directory, CLE programming, social events, committees, and judicial/law-enforcement ratings.
• LGBTQ+ Job Board Online job board connecting employers committed to LGBT diversity and inclusion with prospective candidates. Members access for free; job postings are retained for 60 days.
• Mentoring Program Mentorship matching program connecting law students and early-career attorneys with practicing attorneys, law professors, or judges. Administered by the Law Student Outreach and Mentorship Committees.
• LGBTQ+ Judicial Directory Published directory of LGBTQ+ judicial officers in Washington (including Tribal Courts and State ALJs), produced in partnership with the Washington State Minority and Justice Commission and the Gender and Justice Commission. Available in both hard-copy and web-based formats.
• Judicial Candidate Ratings Nonpartisan evaluation and rating of judicial candidates by the Judicial Evaluation Committee, covering municipal, district, superior, appellate, and Washington Supreme Court positions. Ratings include Exceptionally Well Qualified (EWQ), Well Qualified (WQ), Qualified (Q), and Not Qualified (NQ).
• WA Judges' Bench Guide on the LGBTQ Community and the Law Educational resource prepared by the QLaw Foundation and QLaw Association for the Washington State Supreme Court's Gender & Justice Commission, covering legal issues affecting the LGBTQ community. Intended for judges, lawyers, and the broader legal community.
• Law Enforcement Ratings Nonpartisan candidate ratings for elected law-enforcement positions in Washington state, issued through the Washington Coalition of Minority Legal Professionals (WCMLP), a joint committee of minority bar associations that includes QLaw.
• Member Directory Free online member directory that lists LGBTQ+-affirming attorneys and legal professionals in Washington so prospective clients can find them.
• Annual Banquet QLaw's largest annual fundraising and celebration event, in its 21st edition on May 15, 2026 at Four Seasons Seattle, featuring awards, scholarships, queer artist performances, and networking.
• Social Events (Queer Trivia Night, quarterly happy hours, holiday party) Recurring community-building social events organized by the Social & Services Committee, including quarterly happy hours, annual holiday party, and Queer Trivia Night.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSBA Leadership Institute brought together Michael Heath and Beth Barrett Bloom in 2005 to organize what would become QLaw. QLaw operates in partnership with WSBA to support diverse leadership in the bar.
• Washington Coalition of Minority Legal ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQLaw is a member of the Coalition, a joint committee of minority bar associations formed to carry out nonpartisan evaluation and rating of candidates for elected law-enforcement positions in Washington State.
• Washington State Minority and Justice CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort with the Minority and Justice Commission to publish a directory of LGBTQ+ judicial officers in Washington, including Tribal Courts and State ALJs.
• Washington State Gender and Justice CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint effort with the Gender and Justice Commission to publish a directory of LGBTQ+ judicial officers in Washington. The QLaw Foundation and QLaw Association prepared the WA Judges' Bench Guide on the LGBTQ Community and the Law for the Gender and Justice Commission.
• National LGBT Bar AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerQLaw offers members 50% off membership in the National LGBT Bar Association, providing cross-promotion and extended networking opportunities.
• Four Seasons SeattleminorOthersVenue partner for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet to be held May 15, 2026.
• Stritmatter LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Dorsey & WhitneyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Davis Wright TremaineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Arnold & PorterminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Ballard SpahrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson P.S.minorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Summit Law GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Fox Rothschild LLPminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Keller RohrbackminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Skellenger BenderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• SeyfarthminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGold sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• MicrosoftminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Stoel RivesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.
• Miller NashminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver sponsor for the 21st Annual QLaw Banquet.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National LGBT Bar Association: The national umbrella organization for LGBTQ+ legal professionals in the US, providing cross-state membership, advocacy, and the annual Lavender Law Conference. QLaw offers its members a 50% discount on National LGBT Bar membership, making it the closest national counterpart and obvious peer.
• Washington State Bar Association (WSBA): The mandatory statewide bar association in Washington. QLaw was incubated through the WSBA Leadership Institute and operates in partnership with WSBA, serving an overlapping Washington legal professional audience with a narrower membership scope.
• American Bar Association: The largest voluntary national bar association in the U.S. QLaw's tiered membership, CLE programming, and committee structure closely mirror the ABA's framework, providing a broad-incumbent reference point for what scaled bar membership can deliver.
• National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL): A national U.S. organization advancing women in the legal profession. National-scale structural parallel to a federated model that LGBTQ+ bar associations (including QLaw) could follow.

Regional players

• Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom (BALIF): The LGBTQ+ bar association of the San Francisco Bay Area, a California State Bar section affiliate. Operates the same membership, networking, and advocacy model for LGBTQ+ legal professionals in a different U.S. region.
• LeGaL (LGBT Bar Association of Greater New York): A long-standing LGBTQ+ bar association serving the New York legal community. Comparable mission (LGBTQ+ legal professional networking, advocacy, and judicial evaluations) but operating in a different metro market than QLaw.

Direct peers

• Washington Women Lawyers: A Washington State voluntary bar association focused on women in the legal profession. Direct structural peer to QLaw at the state level, with parallel membership, networking, and advocacy programming for a different identity cohort.
• Hispanic National Bar Association: A national bar association representing Hispanic legal professionals. Directly comparable in mission and operating model (identity-based voluntary bar with regional chapters, networking, judicial endorsements, and student pipeline) to QLaw's LGBTQ+-focused work.
• Lavender Law Conference: The flagship annual conference and career fair hosted by the National LGBT Bar Association for LGBTQ+ legal professionals. Comparable to QLaw's Annual Banquet as a marquee in-person networking and recruitment event for the same core audience.
• Washington Coalition of Minority Legal Professionals: A joint committee of minority bar associations in Washington, of which QLaw is a member, that conducts nonpartisan evaluations of candidates for elected law-enforcement positions. A direct peer in scope, mission, and geography.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/qlawwa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 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 QLaw