WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School

Name

WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School

Legal name

Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School

Website

https://legalservicescenter.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The WilmerHale Legal Services Center is a non-profit civil legal aid clinic and Harvard Law School clinical teaching facility in Jamaica Plain, Boston, providing free legal representation across consumer protection, family justice, housing, LGBTQ+ advocacy, tax, and veterans practice areas to 1,200+ low-income Greater Boston households annually while training up to 70 law students per semester.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Clinical Legal Education & Legal Aid Clinics (Law School–Run) (EDAHAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC), Legal Literacy & Public Legal Education (Know Your Rights) (EDAAAFAI)

Keywords

• Civil legal aid
• Legal clinic services
• Community lawyering
• Clinical legal education
• Benefits eligibility screening

Headquarters

HQ city

Jamaica Plain

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Harvard Law School Funding: Primary institutional funding from Harvard Law School as its oldest and largest clinical teaching facility. The law school provides substantial funding to support the Center's operating budget.
2. Legal Services Grants: Funding from legal services grant funds, originally from Legal Services Corporation and other grant-making organizations supporting civil legal aid.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: Charitable donations including the $2 million gift from Hale and Dorr (now WilmerHale) alumni for the permanent facility. Ongoing donations through Harvard alumni giving programs.
4. Client Co-payments: While many clients are very poor and receive free services, some clients can and do make co-payments or pay on a lower-than-market basis for services received.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The WilmerHale Legal Services Center provides free civil legal representation to low- and moderate-income individuals and families in Greater Boston through multiple clinical programs operated by Harvard Law School. Services span consumer protection, family law and domestic violence, housing law, LGBTQ+ advocacy, tax litigation, veterans benefits, and disability/safety net benefits. The Center simultaneously functions as a clinical teaching facility, training up to 70 Harvard Law School students per semester under attorney supervision.

Product overview

WilmerHale Legal Services Center is a single public interest law firm that is home to multiple in-house Harvard Law School clinics providing civil legal services to low-income clients in Greater Boston. The organization operates as a unified legal services practice with six clinical programs: Consumer Protection Clinic, Family Justice Clinic, Housing Law Clinic, LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic, Tax Litigation Clinic, and Veterans Legal Clinic. Additional specialized projects include the Safety Net Project (disability benefits), Housing Justice for Survivors Project, Estate Planning Project, and CORI Sealing Initiative. The Center also provides self-help digital tools including MyFriendBen (benefits screener) and the Massachusetts Veterans Benefit Calculator, alongside community education through the People's Law School program. Founded in 1979, it is Harvard Law School's oldest and largest clinical teaching facility, training law students while providing free or low-cost legal representation to over 1,200 clients annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Consumer Protection Clinic
• Family Justice Clinic
• Housing Law Clinic
• LGBTQ+ Advocacy Clinic
• Tax Litigation Clinic
• Veterans Legal Clinic
• Housing Justice for Survivors Project
• Estate Planning Project
• CORI Sealing Initiative
• MyFriendBen Benefits Screener
• Massachusetts Veterans Benefit Calculator

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 1,200+ clients annually across multiple practice areas
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Boston Children's Hospital (DACCI and Innovation and Digital Health Accelerator)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Collaboration to tailor MyFriendBen application for Massachusetts-specific content. Julie McCormack and clinical students collaborated with hospital team to enable Massachusetts residents to benefit from the benefits screener tool, among the first to access capabilities currently available in only 4 other states.
• Brigham and Women's HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2004Launched Passageway Health-Law Collaborative (PHLC) in 2004 to provide comprehensive direct legal services to domestic violence victims and survivors. Founded by Sarah Boonin '04 as Skadden Fellowship. Medical-legal partnership model integrating legal services into healthcare settings.
• WilmerHale (formerly Hale and Dorr)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992WilmerHale alumni contributed $2 million in 1992 to purchase and renovate the permanent home for the Center. Since then, attorneys from the firm have rotated through the Center providing pro bono representation and technical assistance. More recently, pro bono collaboration has focused on litigation matters and case referrals. The firm has hosted Access to Justice Fellows within Center clinics. Partnership celebrated 25 years in 2019.
• Greater Boston Legal ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal partner in proposal for the Legal Services Institute submitted to Legal Services Corporation in conjunction with Greater Boston Legal Services office.
• GLAD (Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLGBTQ+ advocacy partner and referral organization working on legal rights for gay and lesbian individuals.
• CityLife/Vida UrbanaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHousing law partner and community organizing coalition. LSC works with them on eviction defense and tenant rights issues.
• Home Base ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans services partner providing support to veterans and military families in conjunction with LSC's Veterans Legal Clinic.
• Pine Street InnminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans services partner supporting homeless and at-risk veterans in Boston.
• Volunteers of AmericaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVeterans services partner providing services to veterans in Massachusetts.
• Massachusetts Attorney General's HomeCorpsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing law partner addressing foreclosure crisis and supporting homeowners facing foreclosure.
• Boston Public LibraryminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner for People's Law School community workshops. LSC conducts workshops at BPL Central Library in Copley Square on SNAP benefits and Social Security/disability topics.
• Project CitizenshipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafety Net Project partner assisting with citizenship and immigration-related services.
• National Consumer Law CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer protection partner providing expertise and resources on consumer law issues.
• ESACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsumer protection partner in Boston working on consumer advocacy issues.
• Massachusetts Department of Veterans ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState partner administering Chapter 115 veterans benefits program. LSC developed Massachusetts Veterans Benefit Calculator in partnership with the state.
• Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation (CHLPI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHLPI was founded as the AIDS Law Clinic at LSC in 1987. Continues to maintain presence and connection with LSC while pursuing policy endeavors informed by direct legal services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lscatharvardlaw
• Facebookfacebook.com/legalservicescenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/legal-services-center-of-harvard-law-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/hlslsc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 WilmerHale Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School