The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center

What The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center does

The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center (APALRC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization founded in 1998 and headquartered at 1627 K Street NW in Washington, D.C. It provides free, linguistically accessible, and culturally appropriate civil legal services to low-income Asian Pacific Islander immigrants with limited English proficiency residing in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Northern Virginia.

APALRC's service portfolio centers on a Multilingual Legal Helpline with dedicated extensions for Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Vietnamese, and Korean, supported by more than 50 trained legal interpreters covering over 25 Asian languages and dialects. Specialized practice areas include Immigration and Naturalization (covering adjustment of status, naturalization, DACA, T/U visas, TPS, VAWA, and removal defense), the Crime Victims Assistance Partnership (CVAP), the Domestic Violence Project, the Housing and Community Justice Project, free Citizenship Application Assistance, Know Your Rights presentations, and Social Security Number/EAD application guidance. Service delivery combines community legal education, individual representation, and systemic advocacy.

The organization operates with four full-time staff, bilingual law student volunteers (roughly 25 per semester), 11 board members, and an interpreter network, with secondary intake at a Chinatown Service Center. It is funded through a mix of individual donations (including tiered Leadership Circle and Circle of Advocates programs), corporate and law firm sponsorships (tiered from $1K Silver to $25K Platinum), foundation and government grants (Cafritz, TAAF, Maryland Legal Services Corporation, DC Bar Foundation, United Way NCA, Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, and others), and workplace giving campaigns. APALRC was a founder and fiscal agent of the D.C. Language Access Coalition and led advocacy that produced the 2004 D.C. Language Access Act.

Name

The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center

Legal name

Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center

Website

https://apalrc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1998 that provides free, multilingual civil legal services to low-income Asian Pacific Islander immigrants with limited English proficiency across the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Services

NAICS

Translation and Interpretation Services (54193), Individual and Family Services (6241), Human Rights Organizations (813311), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAEAM

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Social Services & Community Support (Food, Housing, Family)

SECONDARYBPAGAFAG

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYEDAAADAB

Immigration Law Literacy & Rights Education

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYEDAAACAG

English for Citizenship, Civics & Integration

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/English as a Second Language (ESL) & Adult Language Learning

Keywords

• Civil legal services
• Immigration legal assistance
• Multilingual legal helpline
• Domestic violence advocacy
• Community legal education

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington, DC

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Donations from individuals, including Leadership Circle members who contribute at least $1,000 annually, and Circle of Advocates who contribute at least $500 annually.
2. Corporate and Law Firm Sponsorships: Sponsorships from law firms and corporations at various tiers (Platinum $25,000, Sapphire $15,000, Diamond $10,000, Gold $5,000, Ruby $2,500, Silver $1,000).
3. Foundation and Government Grants: Funding from foundations and government entities including Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California, District of Columbia Bar Foundation, Mayor's Office on Latino Affairs, OVSJG, Korean American Community Foundation, Maryland Legal Services Corporation, Montgomery County, The Asian American Foundation, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, United Way National Capital Area, Venable Foundation, William S. Abell Foundation.
4. United Way Campaign: Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and United Way National Capital Area workplace giving programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

APALRC provides free, linguistically accessible and culturally appropriate civil legal services to low-income Asian Pacific Islander immigrants with limited English proficiency in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Northern Virginia, centered on a Multilingual Legal Helpline and supported by practice areas in Immigration and Naturalization, Crime Victims Assistance, Domestic Violence, Housing and Community Justice, and Citizenship Application Assistance. The organization combines community legal education, individual representation and systemic advocacy, and is supported by more than 50 trained legal interpreters collectively fluent in 25+ Asian languages and dialects.

Product overview

APALRC is a non-profit legal services organization that provides linguistically accessible and culturally appropriate legal services to low-income Asian Pacific Islanders in the D.C. metropolitan area. Rather than a technology product company, APALRC offers a portfolio of legal service programs centered around its flagship Multilingual Legal Helpline, complemented by specialized practice areas including Immigration and Naturalization Services, the Crime Victims Assistance Partnership (CVAP), the Domestic Violence Project, the Housing and Community Justice Project, and Citizenship Application Assistance. Additional offerings include Know Your Rights Presentations and Social Security Number Application Assistance. The organization uses a three-pronged strategy combining community legal education, individual representation, and systemic advocacy, and serves clients who speak more than 25 different Asian languages and dialects through staff, volunteers, and trained interpreters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Multilingual Legal Helpline A free legal helpline serving low-income Asian Pacific Islanders and individuals with limited English proficiency in the D.C. metropolitan area, where volunteer law students conduct intake interviews in callers' native languages and refer clients to appropriate legal service providers. The helpline is staffed in Chinese, Hindi/Urdu, Vietnamese and Korean (with extensions 18, 19, 20 and 21 respectively, plus a main extension 22), and around 25 bilingual law students volunteer each semester to assist callers.
• Immigration and Naturalization Services Legal representation and advice on immigration and naturalization matters for low-income Asian Pacific Islanders in the D.C. metro area, covering adjustment of immigration status, consular processing, DACA, employment authorization, family-based petitions, naturalization, removal hearings, T visas, TPS, U visas and VAWA petitions.
• Crime Victims Assistance Partnership (CVAP) Program that educates, supports and assists crime victims and their families with the financial burden of violent crime in D.C., including assistance with applications for crime victim compensation; since 2001 has screened over 600 victims and assisted nearly 100 Asian victims with applying for compensation.
• Domestic Violence Project Legal assistance to domestic violence survivors in D.C. and Maryland, including assistance with protective orders and immigration matters, particularly self-petitions under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
• Housing and Community Justice Project Project combining community education, advocacy, community organizing and direct legal representation of low-income Asian tenants with limited English proficiency to protect their rights to safe, affordable housing, including in D.C.'s Chinatown area.
• Citizenship Application Assistance Free legal assistance to help eligible Lawful Permanent Residents complete their citizenship application (Form N-400), including assistance with fee waivers, reduced fee requests, and medical waivers (N-648); provided at no charge and open to all.
• Know Your Rights Presentations Educational presentations (in-person and virtual via Zoom) educating the public about aspects of the American legal system accessible to Asian Pacific Islanders from low-income and immigrant backgrounds, including immigration 101 and anti-Asian hate prevention.
• Social Security Number Application Assistance Resource and guidance for noncitizens applying for an Employment Authorization Document (Form I-765) for the first time who need to apply for a Social Security number.
• Know Your Rights Resources Documents and information about constitutional rights when interacting with police, immigration agents and members of the National Guard, available in multiple languages including English, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Urdu and Tagalog.

Quantifiable outcome

• Handled 625 legal matters in 2015 across abuse prevention, employment, family, immigration, housing, crime victim assistance, consumer, civil rights, and public assistance
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered founding, core and minor.

• Asian Pacific American Bar Association (APABA)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the founding of APALRC in 1998, along with SABA and D.C. area law school students. APABA attorneys have historically supported the organization through pro bono work and advocacy.
• South Asian Bar Association (SABA)foundingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the founding of APALRC in 1998, along with APABA and D.C. area law school students.
• D.C. Language Access CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPALRC is the founder and fiscal agent of the D.C. Language Access Coalition, which advocates for full and equal access to D.C. government programs and services for residents with limited English proficiency.
• Crime Victims Assistance Partnership (CVAP) PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCVAP is led by APALRC and consists of the D.C. Crime Victim Compensation Office, the Mayor's Office of Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, the Metropolitan Police Department (Asian Liaison Unit), and other community partners. Funded by the Office of Victim Services.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunder of APALRC's operations, providing grants to support legal services for the AAPI community.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate partner providing immigration legal resources, training, and support for serving immigrant communities.
• D.C. Government AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner through the 2004 D.C. Language Access Act requiring D.C. government agencies to provide language assistance to those with limited English proficiency.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): A national immigrant rights advocacy and litigation organization that operates at significantly larger scale than APALRC. It is comparable in immigrant rights focus and language access advocacy, but as a broad incumbent rather than a direct local legal services provider.

Emerging players

• Korean American Community Services: Provides culturally and linguistically appropriate social and legal services to Korean American immigrants. It is an emerging peer in AAPI immigrant services with overlapping language-access and immigration practice, though typically focused on a single Asian sub-community.
• South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT): A national advocacy organization for South Asian Americans focused on civil rights, immigration, and community empowerment. It is a peer in AAPI immigrant advocacy and policy, with overlapping community segments on immigration and language access.

Regional players

• CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities: A NYC-based Asian American community organization that combines direct services, housing advocacy, and organizing for low-income Asian immigrants. Comparable in serving limited-English-proficient AAPI immigrants, but operates in the New York regional market rather than DC.
• Asian Human Services (Chicago): A Chicago-based nonprofit providing multilingual social, educational, and legal assistance to Asian immigrants and refugees. Comparable in offering integrated legal and social services to AAPI communities with limited English proficiency, but serving the Midwest rather than the Mid-Atlantic.

Direct peers

• Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund (AALDEF): AALDEF provides legal services, advocacy, and community education for Asian Americans, with emphasis on immigration, voting rights, and language access. It is a direct peer in AAPI legal aid delivery and systemic advocacy, with overlapping immigrant-focused practice areas.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice Southern California (AJSOCAL): AJSOCAL is a major AAPI legal aid and civil rights organization that also provides immigration, language access, and community education services. It is both a direct funder of APALRC and a primary peer operating in the same AAPI legal services space, serving limited-English-proficient Asian immigrant communities.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC (DC): The DC-based national policy arm of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice network. It operates in the same Metro-DC geography as APALRC, advocating for AAPI civil rights and providing legal/community support with overlapping client segments and policy focus.
• Asian Law Caucus: Founded in 1972, the Asian Law Caucus provides immigration legal services, language access advocacy, and civil rights representation for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. It is a direct peer in AAPI legal services delivery and language access policy, with a comparable mission and client base.
• Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inc. (CLINIC): CLINIC is a national immigration legal services network that APALRC is affiliated with. It provides immigration training, resources, and capacity-building to affiliated agencies — directly comparable in immigrant legal services mission and infrastructure, though at significantly larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-asian-pacific-american-legal-resource-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about The Asian Pacific American Legal Resource Center