Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

What Great Lakes Environmental Law Center does

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center (GLELC) is a Detroit-based nonprofit legal advocacy organization founded in 2013 by Noah Hall, operating as Michigan's only environmental justice legal organization. The organization provides legal representation, community education, policy advocacy, and transactional legal services to Michigan communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards, particularly communities of color and low-income communities facing unsafe air and water, hazardous waste siting, and lack of legal access.

GLELC's core offerings include direct legal services (litigation against government and private entities, FOIA requests, administrative complaints, civil rights compliance), policy services (model law drafting, coalition support, policy research), community education (presentations, training, public participation support), and transactional legal services for environmental justice nonprofits (incorporation, real property, tax-exempt filings). The organization also operates two public tracking resources — the Air Quality Permit Tracker and Enforcement Tracker for Wayne County — that compile regulatory data from EGLE databases to enable resident participation in environmental decisions. Educational programs include summer internships (2-5 annually), externships, post-graduate fellowships, and a $5,000 annual Noah Hall Honorary Scholarship.

GLELC operates as a community lawyering model, distributing services at no-cost or low-cost based on client ability to pay. Revenue is sourced primarily from grants and charitable contributions, with named support from the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation. The four-attorney team is led by Executive Director Nick Leonard (since 2018) and operates from a sustainable co-working space (Green Garage) in Midtown Detroit at 4444 Second Avenue.

Name

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

Legal name

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center

Website

https://glelc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center is Michigan's only environmental justice legal organization, providing legal representation, policy advocacy, community education, and transactional legal services to communities of color and low-income communities disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards, funded through grants and charitable contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Justice Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (54111), Offices of Lawyers (541110), Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Justice & Community Environmental Health (BPAGAGAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental & Energy Law (BPAHAAAO), Water Resources & Watershed Protection (BPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Environmental justice law
• Legal advocacy services
• Community lawyering
• Nonprofit legal services
• Environmental policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding and Charitable Contributions: The organization operates as a nonprofit that relies on charitable contributions and grants to fund operations. They also receive support from foundations such as the Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation.
2. Sliding Scale Legal Fees: Legal services are provided at no-cost or low-cost based on clients' ability to pay. Fees are determined based on the client's ability to pay and existing resources from charitable contributions and grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center is Michigan's only environmental justice legal organization providing direct legal representation, community education, policy development, and transactional legal services. The organization serves communities of color and low-income communities in Michigan that are disproportionately impacted by environmental hazards, helping them challenge polluters and government agencies through litigation, administrative complaints, and policy advocacy.

Product overview

Great Lakes Environmental Law Center is Michigan's foremost environmental legal advocacy organization offering legal services, community education, policy services, and transactional legal services to communities impacted by environmental injustice. The organization's product portfolio includes two public tracking resources (Air Quality Permit Tracker and Enforcement Tracker) that compile regulatory data to help residents participate in air quality decisions. Additionally, the organization operates educational programs including summer internships, externships, and post-graduate fellowships, as well as the Noah Hall Honorary Scholarship for aspiring environmental justice lawyers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Legal Services Legal representation and advocacy including filing lawsuits against government and private entities, drafting comments on government decisions, and ensuring compliance with civil rights laws through administrative complaints and litigation. Provided to Michigan communities of color and low-income communities impacted by environmental injustice.
• Community Education Presentations on environmental issues and legal strategies, research and writing services, informational materials, training sessions for public participation, and Freedom of Information Act request assistance for community members.
• Policy Services Coalition support for drafting model laws and regulations, and policy research to identify best practices for addressing environmental issues impacting Michigan communities.
• Transactional Legal Services Legal assistance for environmental justice organizations including real property acquisitions, real estate contract review, legal counseling on loans and grants, zoning compliance, nonprofit formation, and tax-exempt status filings.

Quantifiable outcome

• Air Quality Permit Tracker compiles permit installation applications, public hearing information, and finalized permits for Wayne County.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

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

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American RiverscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to publish 'Protecting Drinking Water in the Great Lakes' report comparing how 8 Great Lakes states address 10 drinking water issues including lead contamination, PFAS, algal blooms, and consumer confidence reporting.
• University of Michigan (Masters Students)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with a team of multi-disciplinary Masters students from the University of Michigan to develop the 'Vegetative Buffers and Tree Canopy' report detailing how local governments can promote increased tree canopy and vegetative buffers to improve air quality.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Earthjustice: Largest nonprofit public interest environmental law organization in the U.S. Earthjustice is comparable to GLELC as it similarly provides free legal representation in environmental matters, though at much broader national scale rather than a single state.
• Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC): Major national environmental advocacy organization with a sizable in-house legal team. Comparable as a nonprofit using litigation and policy advocacy to advance environmental outcomes, though operating at far greater national scale than GLELC.
• Environmental Law & Policy Center: Midwest-based environmental legal and policy advocacy organization. It is comparable as a regional environmental law nonprofit providing legal advocacy and policy work across multiple Great Lakes and Midwest states, similar in mission though larger in scope than GLELC.
• Center for Biological Diversity: National nonprofit using legal advocacy, scientific petitions, and media campaigns to protect endangered species and wild places. Comparable as a legal-advocacy-driven environmental nonprofit, though far larger and species-focused rather than community environmental justice.
• Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC): Nonprofit environmental legal advocacy organization serving the southeastern U.S. SELC is comparable as a regionally anchored environmental law nonprofit providing free legal representation, though with significantly larger staff and geographic footprint than GLELC.

Direct peers

• Western Environmental Law Center: Regional environmental justice legal aid organization operating in western states. It is the most directly comparable peer to GLELC: a state/region-focused nonprofit environmental law firm offering free legal services on a similar community-lawyering model, just in a different U.S. region.
• Conservation Law Foundation: Northeast-based environmental advocacy organization combining legal, policy, and scientific work. Comparable to GLELC as a regional nonprofit that uses litigation and policy advocacy for environmental protection, with a similar Great Lakes/New England focus on clean water.

Regional players

• Michigan League for Public Policy: Michigan-based nonprofit focused on economic justice and policy advocacy affecting low-income residents. It is comparable as a Michigan-headquartered advocacy nonprofit serving overlapping communities of color and low-income populations, though with a broader socio-economic rather than environmental mandate.
• Great Lakes Commission: Binational governmental agency representing the eight Great Lakes states. It is comparable as a Great Lakes-region organization working on water and environmental issues relevant to GLELC's water quality caseload, though it functions as a government-affiliated policy body rather than a legal aid nonprofit.
• Michigan Environmental Council: Michigan-based coalition of environmental and conservation organizations. Comparable as a Michigan-focused environmental advocacy nonprofit aligning with GLELC's state-level policy work, though operating as a coalition coordinator rather than direct legal services provider.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glelc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Great Lakes Environmental Law Center