Aboriginal Legal Service WA

What Aboriginal Legal Service WA does

Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Ltd (ALSWA) is a not-for-profit Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation (ACCO) founded in 1973 that provides free legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Western Australia. Core services include Criminal Law, Civil Law and Human Rights Law, and Family Law (Care and Protection), supplemented by an integrated suite of support programs: Bail Support, Prison In-Reach Legal Service, 24/7 Custody Notification Service, Custody Wellbeing Service, Community Legal Education, Old Ways New Ways, Work and Development Permit Service, Youth Engagement Program, and Family and Domestic Violence Hubs/Healing Services. The organisation is governed by an all-Aboriginal Board of Directors and operates 13 offices across regional and remote WA, accessible via a free statewide call line (1800 019 900).

ALSWA is not a technology company; service delivery is human-led, relationship-driven, and culturally grounded. Its funding model is dominated by government grants, supplemented by tax-deductible donations and bequests (it is a Deductible Gift Recipient). Services are provided free of charge to clients, with no fees charged for legal representation. Infrastructure assets include the multi-award winning fortnightly Law Matters radio program (broadcast on 100.9FM Noongar Radio and repeated through National Indigenous Radio Service, 6DBY Larrkardi Radio and Waringari Media), which doubles as a community legal education channel.

The organisation is led by CEO Wayne Nannup (since 2023), succeeding long-serving CEO Dennis Eggington (26 years), with a Strategic Plan covering 2025-2030 in place. ALSWA is currently operating from a temporary Perth office following a 2025 fire at its head office at 7 Aberdeen Street, with the head office scheduled for reopening in late 2026. It is a member of NATSILS, the national peak body for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services.

Name

Aboriginal Legal Service WA

Legal name

Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia Ltd

Website

https://als.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Aboriginal Legal Service WA is a 50-year-old Aboriginal Community-Controlled non-profit providing free legal and support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Western Australia through 13 offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Other Legal Services (54119)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights (BPADAGAH)

Keywords

• Indigenous legal services
• Community legal aid
• Criminal law representation
• Family law services
• Human rights advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Perth

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: ALSWA receives government funding to provide legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The organisation acknowledges that funded programs continually fall short of what is required to fully achieve goals.
2. Donations and Bequests: ALSWA relies on contributions from individuals and organisations to supplement government funding. The organisation is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient, making donations of $2 or more tax deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Aboriginal Legal Service WA provides free, culturally appropriate legal representation, advocacy, and community legal education to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples throughout Western Australia. Its core practice covers criminal law, family law, children's court matters, and human rights, delivered through a statewide network of offices and a free call advice line.

Product overview

Aboriginal Legal Service of WA Ltd (ALSWA) is an Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation providing a comprehensive range of legal and support services for First Nations Peoples in Western Australia. The core offering centers on Legal Support and Representation covering Civil Law and Human Rights Law, Criminal Law, and Family Law – Care and Protection. ALSWA complements its legal services with an integrated suite of support programs including the Bail Support Service, Prison In-Reach Legal Service, Community Legal Education, 24/7 Custody Notification Service, Custody Wellbeing Service, Old Ways New Ways, Work and Development Permit Service, Youth Engagement Program, and Family and Domestic Violence Hubs/Healing Services. The organisation also produces the Law Matters Radio Program as a community education and advocacy tool. ALSWA operates offices across Western Australia including Perth (Head Office), Albany, Broome, Bunbury, Carnarvon, Derby, Geraldton, Halls Creek, Kalgoorlie, Kununurra, Northam, and South Hedland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Criminal law representation Free legal representation and advocacy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples charged with or affected by criminal proceedings in Western Australia.
• Family law services Legal advice, representation, and advocacy in family law matters for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients across Western Australia.
• Children's court representation Legal representation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families, and carers involved in Children's Court proceedings in Western Australia.
• Human rights advocacy Advocacy and legal action on human rights issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Western Australia.
• Community legal education Community legal education and outreach programs aimed at increasing legal literacy and awareness among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Western Australia.
• Free legal advice line Free-call telephone legal advice line providing initial legal information and triage to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander callers across Western Australia.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NATSILS (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNATSILS is the national body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services. ALSWA participates as a member organisation and collaborates on national advocacy, policy development, and justice reform initiatives for First Nations peoples.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service: ACCO delivering free legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Tasmania. Direct state-level peer to ALSWA under the same national NATSILS framework, providing criminal, family, and civil law representation.
• Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT: Aboriginal Community-Controlled Organisation providing free legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in NSW and ACT. Directly comparable to ALSWA as a sister ACCO legal service in another Australian state, with the same governance model, funding base, and service mandate.
• Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS): Victorian ACCO delivering free legal assistance, advice, and community education to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Victoria. A direct state-level peer of ALSWA operating the same ACCO model with criminal, civil, family, and human rights practice areas.
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service (ATSILS) QLD: Queensland-based ACCO providing culturally appropriate legal services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across criminal, family, and civil law matters. Direct peer to ALSWA as a state-level Indigenous legal service organisation under the same national funding umbrella.
• North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA): ACCO providing free legal aid, policy advocacy, and community justice programs across the Northern Territory. Closely comparable to ALSWA in delivering Indigenous-led criminal defence, civil law, and family law services across a vast geographic footprint with regional/remote offices.

Others

• National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS): National peak body representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services across Australia. ALSWA is a member organisation; NATSILS is comparable as the coordinating advocacy body for the same First Nations legal services sector.
• Community Legal WA: Peak body for community legal centres in Western Australia. Comparable to ALSWA as a sector-coordination and advocacy counterpart within WA's broader community legal services ecosystem, though not an Indigenous-specific provider.

Regional players

• Kimberley Community Legal Services: Community legal centre serving the Kimberley region of Western Australia with generalist legal services. Operates in the same WA geography as several ALSWA offices (Broome, Derby, Halls Creek, Kununurra), providing complementary generalist legal aid.
• Aboriginal Family Legal Services (NSW/SA): Specialist Indigenous family law service operating in parts of NSW and SA. Comparable to ALSWA's family law and care/protection practice area but operating in different state jurisdictions.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid WA: Statutory legal aid provider in Western Australia delivering criminal, family, and civil law services to all eligible Western Australians. A broader incumbent operating in the same WA market as ALSWA but not specialising in culturally appropriate services for First Nations peoples.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aboriginallegalservicewa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Service WA