Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement

What Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement does

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) is a South Australian Aboriginal community-controlled not-for-profit organization, structured as a company limited by guarantee and registered charity, founded in 1972 as part of the national movement to establish Aboriginal community-controlled legal services. Headquartered in Adelaide with regional offices in Port Augusta and Ceduna, ALRM delivers free legal aid to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across South Australia, including through a circuit system reaching the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands and other remote communities.

Its core services span criminal law representation (police interviews through High Court appeals), civil and family law (child protection, compensation claims, coronial inquests, discrimination), the 24-hour Custody Notification Service hotline mandated under the Summary Offences (Custody Notification Service) Variation Regulations 2020, Aboriginal Field Services (rights-at-arrest support), the after-hours Aboriginal Visitor Scheme, the Prisoner Care Program (pre- and post-release case management), the Aboriginal Financial Counselling Service, Confirmation of Aboriginality documentation, and state/national advocacy on law and justice reform. Distribution is multi-channel: court-based duty solicitors, regional walk-in offices, a 24/7 telephone hotline, regional and remote-area outreach circuits, and a website with online donation capability.

The business model is government-anchored and non-commercial: ALRM's primary revenue stream is National Legal Assistance Program funding administered via the South Australian Attorney-General's Department, supplemented by targeted grants (Financial Counselling Australia, Wyatt Trust), tax-deductible public donations, and membership fees. All client-facing legal services are provided free of charge; there is no SaaS, licensing, or fee-for-service revenue. The organization is governed by an all-Aboriginal Board (Chairperson Glen Wingfield, CEO Chris Larkin), is independent of government, and is accountable to Aboriginal communities of South Australia. There is no disclosed headcount growth, no fundraising rounds, and no M&A activity — the organization operates as a stable, mission-driven legal-aid entity rather than a venture-scalable enterprise.

Name

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement

Legal name

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement

Website

https://alrm.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement is a South Australian Aboriginal community-controlled not-for-profit, founded in 1972, providing free legal aid, 24-hour custody notification, prisoner care, financial counselling, and advocacy services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across the state.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Legal Aid Services

NAICS

All Other Legal Services (541199), Social Assistance (624)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Legal aid services
• Aboriginal advocacy
• Prisoner care support
• Financial counselling
• Law reform advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Adelaide

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding - National Legal Assistance Program: ALRM receives funding under the National Legal Assistance Program to operate its criminal and civil law practices providing free legal aid to Aboriginal people in criminal law, child protection, family law, and non-commercial civil law.
2. Donations: ALRM accepts tax-deductible donations from the public. Donations of $2.00 or more are tax-deductible as ALRM is a registered charity. Donations can be made by cheque, electronic funds transfer, or by contacting the office.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ALRM provides free legal aid and related social services to Aboriginal people in South Australia. Its core offerings are criminal law representation, civil and family law representation (including child protection, compensation claims and coronial inquests), the 24-hour Custody Notification Service hotline, Aboriginal Field Services for arrest support, after-hours Aboriginal Visitor Scheme, Prisoner Care Program for pre- and post-release support, and an Aboriginal Financial Counselling Service.

Product overview

Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) is a not-for-profit charity and Aboriginal community-controlled legal service organisation providing free legal aid services throughout South Australia. The core product portfolio consists of legal services (Criminal Law, Civil and Family Law, Child Protection) supported by the 24-hour Custody Notification Service hotline. Additional services include the Aboriginal Field Services (first point of contact for arrested persons), Aboriginal Visitor Scheme (after-hours support), and Prisoner Care Program (pre/post release support). The Aboriginal Financial Counselling Service provides financial counselling alongside legal services. Advocacy services contribute to law reform at state and national levels. The organisation operates from a central Adelaide office with regional offices in Port Augusta and Ceduna.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custody Notification Service 24-hour telephone hotline service that SA Police must notify ALRM of when an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person is in police custody; provides a holistic wellbeing check designed to reduce preventable deaths in custody.
• Criminal Law Services Legal representation and advice for Aboriginal people charged with criminal offences across Youth Court to the High Court of Australia, including police interviews, committal, trial, sentencing, appeals, and parole appearances.
• Civil and Family Law Services Family Law advice and representation including child matters upon separation, care and protection proceedings when children are removed, and civil matters including compensation claims, discrimination, police complaints, victims of crime, personal injury, motor vehicle accidents, and employment and WorkCover issues.
• Aboriginal Field Services Field Officers who ensure Aboriginal people arrested are advised of their rights at the time of arrest, available 24/7, providing telephone or in-person support to connect clients with lawyers.
• Aboriginal Visitor Scheme After-hours care and support service available from 5:00pm until 9:00am and all day on weekends and public holidays, providing assistance to Aboriginal people who may be anxious or stressed about being arrested.
• Prisoner Care Program Supports Aboriginal prisoners and offenders upon pre- and post-release from prisons in South Australia, delivered by Aboriginal Case Workers who develop individual case management plans and criminogenic needs assessments to reduce re-offending behaviours.
• Aboriginal Financial Counselling Service Financial counselling services for Aboriginal people facing financial hardship, including debt and credit difficulties, Centrelink entitlements, agency referrals, dental and ambulance waivers, budgeting support, and superannuation queries, with outreach to regional and remote communities.
• Advocacy Services Contributes to law and justice reforms at state and national levels to pursue legal, cultural, economic, political and social rights of Aboriginal people in South Australia; ALRM is a member of NATSIL and the Law Society of South Australia.
• ALRM Membership Community membership program allowing individuals to become members of Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement by completing an application form.
• Confirmation of Aboriginality Service providing confirmation of Aboriginality documentation and verification for Aboriginal people in South Australia.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSIL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALRM is a member of NATSIL, a national body working to improve legal and civil rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This membership connects ALRM to a national movement for advocacy and service delivery.
• Law Society of South AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerALRM is a member of the Law Society of South Australia, providing recognition across the legal sector and enabling collaboration on law and justice reforms.
• Financial Counselling AustraliaminorOthersALRM's Aboriginal Financial Counselling Service receives funding support from Financial Counselling Australia.
• Wyatt TrustminorOthersALRM's Financial Counselling Service receives funding support from Wyatt Trust.
• Government of South Australia - Attorney-General's DepartmentcoreOthersALRM receives funding under the National Legal Assistance Program from the Attorney-General's Department to operate its criminal and civil law practices.
• Department for Correctional Services (South Australia)minorOthersThe Department refers prisoners to ALRM's Prisoner Care Program. Aboriginal Liaison Officers and social workers within SA prisons make referrals for pre, during, and post-release prisoner care services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services: NATSIL is the national peak body of which ALRM is a member, representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal services across Australia. It is not a direct competitor but functions as an ecosystem coordinator and policy advocacy umbrella for organisations like ALRM.
• Financial Counselling Australia: FCA is the national peak body that channels funding to ALRM's Aboriginal Financial Counselling Service. It is an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, providing sector coordination for the financial counselling component of ALRM's service mix.

Direct peers

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (Queensland): ATSILS QLD provides culturally appropriate legal aid, court support and advocacy across criminal, civil and family law for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Queensland. Operates under the same national ATSILS funding umbrella as ALRM with comparable service mix.
• Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service: TALS is an Aboriginal community-controlled legal service providing free legal aid and advocacy for Aboriginal people in Tasmania. Direct peer operating under the same ATSILS framework with a smaller geographic footprint than ALRM.
• Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service: VALS is an Aboriginal community-controlled organisation providing free legal assistance, advocacy, and prisoner support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Victoria. It mirrors ALRM's service portfolio and funding model in a different state jurisdiction.
• Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT): The Aboriginal Legal Service for NSW and ACT operates as a community-controlled legal aid provider delivering criminal, civil and family law services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It is directly comparable to ALRM as a sister ATSILS organisation funded under the same National Legal Assistance Program, but serving NSW and ACT.
• North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency: NAAJA delivers legal aid, youth justice, custody notification, and prisoner support services to Aboriginal people across the Top End of the Northern Territory. It is a direct ATSILS peer with overlapping service lines including 24-hour field officer and custody notification capabilities.
• Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia: ALSWA provides state-wide Aboriginal legal aid, family violence services, and prisoner throughcare in Western Australia. Comparable to ALRM as a state-level ATSILS provider with a similar integrated social services portfolio beyond pure legal representation.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid South Australia: Legal Aid SA is the state-wide generalist legal aid provider funded under the same National Legal Assistance Program as ALRM. It is a broader incumbent that handles non-Aboriginal matters and overlaps on civil/criminal representation, but does not provide culturally-specific Aboriginal-controlled services.

Emerging players

• Central Australian Aboriginal Congress: CAAC is a large Aboriginal community-controlled organisation in Alice Springs delivering health and social services with some advocacy overlap. While primarily health-focused, it represents a comparable model of Aboriginal community-controlled service delivery operating in remote Central Australia, including APY-adjacent regions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/alrm5000

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement