Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services

What Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services does

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, that provides pro-bono and sliding-scale legal representation, community education, and policy advocacy to underserved residents, grassroots groups, and environmental nonprofits in the Ohio River Valley region spanning Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. Its core service offering consists of three programs: (1) Legal Services & Representation in the environmental legal services gap; (2) Community Democracy & Education, which provides technical and legal assistance to communities pursuing local policy and process change; and (3) Legal Training & Education, which recruits newly licensed attorneys into a Resident Attorney program and offers internships for law and pre-law students. Supporting these programs is a large ecosystem of topic-specific resource hubs (covering data centers, carbon capture and hydrogen hubs, lead safety, solar energy, waterway access, zoning and ordinances, and more), a monthly Thinking Like a Lawyer webinar series, a digital Community Resource Library, and a physical Lending Library.

The underlying operational technology is built on legal frameworks, policy analysis, community organizing tools, and content publishing rather than proprietary software products; the firm has no disclosed API, app, or technology integrations. Go-to-market is community-led, with intake handled via phone and online forms, outreach through grassroots and nonprofit referral channels, and partnership-based programming delivered alongside organizations such as Ohio River Valley Institute, Buckeye Environmental Network, River Valley Organizing, Community Legal Aid, Sierra Club, Earthworks, Center for Biological Diversity, FreshWater Accountability Project, Mountain Watershed Association, Ohio Environmental Council, and Clean Air Council.

The revenue model is donation- and grant-funded. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, Fair Shake relies on individual donations and foundation grants, with named anchor funders including Heinz Endowments, George Gund Foundation, and Patagonia. Services are provided free of charge or on a sliding scale regardless of client ability to pay, so there is no fee-for-service revenue stream. The organization reports cumulative delivery of 68,000+ hours of free-to-reduced-rate legal services and over $20M in value of pro-bono services since inception at conservative market legal rates.

Name

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services

Legal name

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services

Website

https://fairshake-els.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm in Pittsburgh providing pro-bono environmental legal representation, community education, and policy advocacy to underserved residents, grassroots groups, and nonprofits across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), All Other Legal Services (541199)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental & Energy Law (BPAHAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL), Environmental Policy, Advocacy & Litigation (BPAGAGAG)

Keywords

• Environmental legal services
• Pro-bono legal aid
• Environmental justice law
• Public interest law
• Community lawyering

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

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. Donations and Grants: Fair Shake is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds its operations primarily through donations from individuals and grants from foundations. They explicitly ask supporters to donate, amplify their work, and reach out for collaborations.
2. Pro-Bono and Sliding Scale Legal Services: The organization provides pro-bono (free) and sliding scale legal services to individuals, families, and organizations who cannot afford legal representation. Services are provided regardless of client's economic means.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm that provides pro-bono and sliding-scale legal services and representation to individuals, families, grassroots groups, and nonprofits in the environmental legal services gap across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia. The organization also delivers educational, technical, and legal assistance for community policy and process change, and runs a Resident Attorney training program plus internship opportunities for law and pre-law students in public interest environmental law.

Product overview

Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm providing a suite of legal services, educational programs, and community resource hubs centered on environmental justice in the Appalachian region (Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia). The core offering consists of three primary service lines: (1) Legal Services & Representation — pro-bono and sliding-scale legal representation for underserved communities affected by environmental harms; (2) Community Democracy & Education — technical and legal assistance for policy and process change at the local level; and (3) Legal Training & Education — Resident Attorney and internship programs for newly licensed attorneys and law students. Supporting these core services is a comprehensive ecosystem of community resource hubs and educational programs including the Thinking Like a Lawyer Series, a Community Resource Library and River, a Lending Library, and topic-specific resource hubs covering zoning and ordinances, carbon capture and hydrogen hubs, data centers, lead safety, solar energy, waterway access, environmental complaints, government transparency, navigating bureaucracy and permitting, community benefits, and organizing tools. The organization also hosts regular events and webinars as a community engagement channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services & Representation Pro-bono and sliding-scale legal services and representation provided to individuals, families, and organizations in the environmental legal services gap. The service represents traditionally underserved residents, grassroots groups, and nonprofits who are directly affected by environmental harms and empowers legal action despite the client's economic means.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $20,000,000 in pro bono legal services provided since inception
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ohio River Valley InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in data center pro-bono legal and communications clinics. Provides messaging and communications support to help communities communicate concerns about data centers effectively.
• Buckeye Environmental NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in data center pro-bono legal clinics. Provides organizing strategy support and helps communities brainstorm challenges and engage neighbors effectively.
• River Valley OrganizingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East Palestine free legal advice clinic following the train derailment, providing community organizing support to affected residents.
• Community Legal AidcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East Palestine free legal advice clinic, providing legal aid services to residents impacted by the train derailment.
• Case Western Reserve School of Law Environmental and Health Law ClinicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in East Palestine free legal advice clinic, providing law students and clinical support for affected residents.
• Ohio Environmental CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner in environmental advocacy, co-counsel in Ohio air pollution lawsuit challenging unconstitutional provisions in H.B. 96 state budget.
• Sierra ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and partner in challenges to petrochemical plant permits, representing environmental organization in appeals against ethane cracker air permits.
• EarthworkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and partner in challenges to petrochemical plant permits, representing environmental organization in air quality advocacy.
• FreshWater Accountability ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient and partner in multiple environmental cases including petrochemical plant challenges and East Palestine-related matters.
• Mountain Watershed AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient represented in Rustic Ridge coal mine settlement case, achieving significant environmental protections including barrier requirements and monitoring provisions.
• Clean Air CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient represented in Mariner East II pipeline violation cases and other air quality matters, filing 60-day notices of intent to sue.
• New Sun RisingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in nonprofit advocacy workshops, co-hosting lobbying and advocacy 101 sessions for nonprofits in Pennsylvania.
• Community Foundation of the Mahoning ValleyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in nonprofit advocacy workshops, co-hosting events for nonprofits in Ohio and West Virginia regions.
• Bolder AdvocacyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFacilitator partner for nonprofit advocacy and lobbying education workshops across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and West Virginia.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): NRDC is one of the largest international environmental advocacy organizations, combining legal action, policy advocacy, and science. It is a broad incumbent peer to Fair Shake—same broad environmental mission and legal strategy, but operating at massively larger scale with paid staff attorneys and global footprint.
• Earthjustice: Earthjustice is the largest nonprofit environmental law organization in the U.S., providing free legal representation on environmental cases nationwide. It is comparable to Fair Shake as a 501(c)(3) environmental law firm, but operates at a much larger national scale with broader issue coverage and a larger docket.

Direct peers

• Public Interest Law Center: The Public Interest Law Center is a Philadelphia-based nonprofit law firm that uses impact litigation and policy advocacy to serve underrepresented communities in the Mid-Atlantic region. It is a direct peer due to overlapping geographic scope (Pennsylvania), the same nonprofit law firm model, and shared focus on environmental justice for low-income communities.
• Appalachian Mountain Advocates: Appalachian Mountain Advocates is a nonprofit environmental law firm serving West Virginia and the broader Appalachian region. It is a direct peer to Fair Shake due to overlapping geographic scope (Ohio River Valley), the same nonprofit law firm model, and shared focus on environmental justice cases affecting Appalachian communities.
• Center for Biological Diversity: The Center for Biological Diversity is a national nonprofit that uses litigation, scientific advocacy, and creative media to protect endangered species and wild places. It is a direct peer as both a client of Fair Shake and a similarly structured mission-driven organization that pursues environmental impact through legal action and grassroots organizing.
• Earthworks: Earthworks is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting communities and the environment from the impacts of mineral and energy development. It is a direct peer as both a client of Fair Shake and a similarly structured nonprofit that partners with legal counsel to pursue environmental justice through litigation and advocacy.
• Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC): SELC is a regional nonprofit environmental law firm serving the Southeast U.S. with offices across multiple states. It is a direct peer to Fair Shake—same 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm model, regional focus, blend of litigation and policy advocacy, and pro-bono environmental representation for underserved communities.
• Community Legal Aid: Community Legal Aid is a nonprofit legal services organization serving low-income residents of Pennsylvania with offices throughout the region. It is a direct peer to Fair Shake due to overlapping geographic footprint (Pennsylvania), the same pro-bono legal aid model, and a formal partnership (East Palestine legal clinic) demonstrating operational similarity.

Regional players

• Western Environmental Law Center: WELC is a nonprofit public interest environmental law firm serving the Western U.S. with offices in multiple states. It is a regional peer to Fair Shake, sharing the same nonprofit law firm model, regional focus, and commitment to serving underserved communities facing environmental harms.
• GreenLaw (GreenLaw.org): GreenLaw is a Georgia-based nonprofit that provides free legal and technical assistance to environmental groups and underserved communities in the Southeast. It is a regional peer to Fair Shake, sharing the same nonprofit environmental law model, regional focus, and mission to empower communities facing environmental harms.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7HbI8CjXSvR2r3U1xL2Pvw
• Facebookfacebook.com/fairshakeels
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fair-shake-environmental-legal-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/fairshakeels

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fair Shake Environmental Legal Services