LGBT Bar Association of New York

What LGBT Bar Association of New York does

The LGBT Bar Association of New York (also known as LGBT Bar NY or LeGaL) is a nonprofit professional bar association and affiliated charitable foundation serving the LGBTQ+ legal community in the New York metropolitan area. It operates as two distinct legal entities: the Association, a membership-based bar organization providing Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs, networking, career development, judicial ratings, advocacy initiatives including amicus briefs, and a Lawyer Referral Network; and the Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable arm (Tax ID 13-3828712) that runs a free weekly drop-in legal clinic every Tuesday at 208 West 13th Street in Manhattan, alongside law student programs including the Dr. M.L. 'Hank' Henry, Jr. Judicial Fellowship (a $4,500-stipend, 10–12 week summer rotation) and an LSAT Scholarship Fund of up to $1,500 per recipient.

Program offerings span professional development (CLE courses, career fairs, internships, law student liaisons), advocacy and content (judicial ratings, amicus briefs, the Law Notes publication, an in-house podcast, and the NY DEI Neutral Directory), and direct service delivery (free legal clinics on housing, immigration, family law, criminal, employment, and discrimination matters, with specialized immigration attorneys available monthly and virtual appointments on request). The technology stack is minimal: the website is hosted on Wix.com and event management is powered by Glueup, with no proprietary technology, APIs, or AI-driven features disclosed.

Revenue is diversified across membership dues (annual, pricing not publicly disclosed), law firm and corporate sponsorships, individual donations and planned giving (charitable bequests, retirement asset beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, life insurance donations) processed via Donorbox, and grants including a 2024 New York Bar Foundation award that funded free weekly clinics. The customer base is horizontally segmented across LGBTQ+ legal professionals (primary), LGBTQ+ community members seeking legal help, LGBTQ+ law students, and sponsoring law firms. Go-to-market is community-led, with member recruitment driven by website CTAs, networking events, and a joint mentoring program with the New York State Bar Association's LGBTQ+ Law Section; the volunteer Board of Directors, led by President Hon. Eric J. Wursthorn (elected in 2025 as a Judge of the New York County Civil Court), governs both entities.

Name

LGBT Bar Association of New York

Legal name

Lesbian and Gay Law Association Foundation of Greater New York

Website

https://lgbtbarny.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The LGBT Bar Association of New York is a nonprofit professional bar association and charitable foundation serving LGBTQ+ legal professionals, law students, and community members in New York through membership programs, free legal clinics, CLE courses, mentorship, and advocacy initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Professional Association / Pro Bono Legal Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

LGBTQ+ Rights & Advocacy Organizations (BPAGAFAE)

Keywords

• Legal professional association
• Continuing legal education
• Pro bono legal services
• Lawyer referral network
• Lgbtq advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Manhattan

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for legal professionals joining the bar association
2. Sponsorship: Law firms and companies sponsor events and programs, covering costs and hosting programs
3. Donations: The organization accepts donations through Donorbox platform. In-kind donations of goods and services are also accepted.
4. Planned Giving: Charitable bequests through wills, retirement asset beneficiaries, charitable trusts, and life insurance donations. Tax ID: 13-3828712 (Lesbian and Gay Law Association Foundation of Greater New York)
5. New York Bar Foundation Grant: One of 80 grantee organizations selected by the New York Bar Foundation in 2024 to support free weekly legal clinics

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The LGBT Bar Association of New York is a nonprofit membership-based bar association that provides professional development, advocacy, and community-building programs for LGBTQ+ legal professionals in New York, including CLE courses, networking events, career development, judicial ratings, and a Lawyer Referral Network. Its Foundation arm delivers free direct legal services through a weekly walk-in clinic plus law student programs such as the judicial fellowship and LSAT scholarship. The organization is funded by membership dues, donations, sponsorships, and grants.

Product overview

The LGBT Bar Association of New York operates as a nonprofit membership-based legal professional association serving the LGBTQ+ legal community in New York. The organization's core offering is its website and member services platform, which provides access to programs including CLE courses, networking events, career development, judicial ratings, and a Lawyer Referral Network. The Foundation arm provides direct legal services through a free weekly legal clinic, operates the Dr. M.L. 'Hank' Henry, Jr. Judicial Fellowship, an LSAT Scholarship Fund, and coordinates a joint Mentoring Program with NYSBA's LGBTQ+ Law Section. Additional programs include advocacy initiatives (Judicial Ratings, Amicus Briefs), a podcast, Law Notes publication, annual gala fundraising event, and various membership benefits. The organization leverages Wix.com for website hosting and Glueup for event management functionality. The website also hosts a Law Student Liaisons program, internships, and acts as a hub for LGBTQ+ legal professionals to access resources and connect with the broader legal community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CLE Programs Continuing Legal Education programs for LGBTQ+ legal professionals in New York.
• Career Development Programs Career advancement resources including mentorship, internships, law student liaisons, and a multi-bar association career fair for LGBTQ+ legal professionals.
• Lawyer Referral Network (LRN) A network connecting LGBTQ+ community members with vetted attorneys for legal representation across various practice areas.
• Free Legal Clinic A free weekly drop-in legal clinic operating every Tuesday from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at 208 West 13th Street in Manhattan, offering consultations and referrals to LGBTQ+ community members. Specialized immigration attorneys are available on the second Tuesday of each month. Virtual clinic appointments available by email request.
• Judicial Fellowship Program The Dr. M.L. 'Hank' Henry, Jr. Judicial Fellowship Program is a 10-12 week summer internship allowing law students to rotate among multiple LGBTQ+ and ally judges, accompanied by a $4,500 stipend.
• LGBTQ+ Mentoring Program A joint initiative with the New York State Bar Association's LGBTQ+ Law Section supporting the professional growth of LGBTQ+ law students, emerging attorneys, and early-career practitioners through structured mentor-mentee matching.
• LSAT Scholarship Fund An LSAT preparation scholarship program offering up to $1,500.00 USD for law school-bound LGBTQ+ individuals committed to taking the LSAT and pursuing a law degree at an ABA-accredited law school with the intention of practicing in New York.
• Judicial Ratings A program providing ratings and evaluations of judicial candidates for the LGBTQ+ community.
• Amicus Briefs Legal advocacy through the filing of amicus briefs in cases affecting LGBTQ+ rights.
• Annual Gala The organization's flagship annual fundraising event recognizing honorees and featuring sponsors from law firms and companies supporting LGBTQ+ rights.
• LGBTQ+ Bench Card A resource for courts providing guidance on handling LGBTQ+ related matters fairly and appropriately.
• NY DEI Neutral Directory A directory of diversity, equity, and inclusion neutral professionals available to the New York legal community.

Quantifiable outcome

• One of 80 grantee organizations selected by the New York Bar Foundation in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 and minor.

• New York State Bar Association's LGBTQ+ Law SectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative for the LGBTQ+ Mentoring Program designed to support the professional growth of LGBTQ+ law students, emerging attorneys, and early-career practitioners through thoughtful mentor-mentee matching and ongoing engagement opportunities.
• New York Bar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of 80 grantee organizations selected by the New York Bar Foundation in 2024 to support free weekly legal clinics for low-income LGBTQ+ New Yorkers.
• Law Firms and CompaniesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship opportunities for law firms and companies to support the mission to safeguard and advance the rights of the LGBT community through hosting programs, sponsoring events, and partnering to provide pro bono services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Bar Association: The largest national voluntary bar association in the US. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing CLE, advocacy, and member services across all practice areas, with an internal LGBTQ+ constituency that competes for the same member mindshare.
• New York City Bar Association: A general-purpose bar association serving NYC legal professionals. Comparable as a broad incumbent offering CLE programs, networking, and pro bono services, but without the LGBTQ+ specialization that defines the subject organization.
• Human Rights Campaign: The largest U.S. LGBTQ+ civil rights advocacy organization. Comparable as a broad incumbent operating in adjacent LGBTQ+ advocacy space that competes for corporate sponsorship and individual donor dollars.
• New York State Bar Association: The statewide bar association that houses the LGBTQ+ Law Section partnering with the subject organization. Comparable as a broad incumbent legal membership body with overlapping CLE and member service offerings.
• ACLU: A broad civil liberties organization with significant LGBTQ+ rights litigation and advocacy programming. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the overlapping civil rights and LGBTQ+ legal space.

Direct peers

• Lambda Legal: A national legal organization focused on LGBTQ+ civil rights through impact litigation, advocacy, and education. Comparable as a peer operating in the LGBTQ+ legal advocacy space with overlapping amicus brief and bench card programming.
• GLBTQ Legal Advocates & Defenders (GLAD): A New England-based LGBTQ+ legal rights organization providing impact litigation, advocacy, and education. Comparable as a regional LGBTQ+ legal advocacy peer with overlapping programmatic offerings.
• National LGBTQ+ Bar Association: The national counterpart bar association for LGBTQ+ legal professionals. Directly comparable as a peer professional membership organization serving the same community with similar programming (judicial endorsements, advocacy, networking, career resources).
• National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR): A national legal advocacy organization advancing LGBTQ+ rights through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education. Comparable as a peer in the LGBTQ+ legal advocacy space with similar amicus and policy work.

Regional players

• OutRight Action International: An LGBTQ+ human rights organization with international scope. Comparable as a peer operating in the LGBTQ+ advocacy space, though its primary geography and programmatic emphasis (international) differs from the subject organization's NYC focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lgbtbarny

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about LGBT Bar Association of New York