PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment

What PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment does

PIC – Pravni center za varstvo človekovih pravic in okolja (Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment) is a Slovenian nonprofit civil society organization founded in 1996 and headquartered in Ljubljana. It provides free legal aid, strategic litigation, policy advocacy, and public awareness across four interconnected practice areas: environmental protection, asylum and migration, rule of law and democracy, and the protection of vulnerable groups (persons with disabilities, stateless children, tenants, marginalized individuals). In 2024 alone, PIC served more than 3,000 individuals with legal help, including 739 asylum seekers, handled 1,042 Ukraine-war response cases, and contributed to the drafting or review of 15 laws. The organization operates with a core staff of approximately 6 employees but extends its reach through the Legal Network for Democracy — a coalition of 71 partner law firms and legal experts that has filed 75 extraordinary legal remedies and won 64 court protection demands.

PIC's product and service portfolio combines direct legal counseling with educational and informational tools. Zelena svetovalnica (Green Counseling) is a free environmental legal advisory service that has addressed more than 800 legal questions since its 2019 launch. Other notable outputs include the Štoparski vodnik po varstvu okolja (Hitchhiker's Guide to Environmental Protection), the interactive Vodnik do energije vetra in sonca (Guide to Wind and Solar Energy, launched October 2024), an annual Rule of Law Report, and the Slovenian chapter of the AIDA Asylum Information Database. PIC also runs multiple EU-funded projects: LINK (CERV-2022-DAPHNE, 2023–2025) on accessible child-friendly courts for children with disabilities; DACE under the CERV program on climate justice and gender; CO.A.ST on unaccompanied children; and Zagovorniki okolja – Narava za podnebje (2024–2026) on nature-based climate solutions, co-funded by the Slovenian Climate Fund, Eko sklad, and the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy.

PIC operates as a non-commercial organization. Revenue derives entirely from grants and donations, with no fees charged for any service. Funding sources include European Union programs (CERV, LIFE4ADAPT, ACF), the Login5 Foundation, the Slovenian Climate Fund (Eko sklad), the Ministry of Public Administration, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, and municipal governments (e.g., Trebnje) for localized legal aid contracts. Distribution occurs through direct channels (phone, email, in-person consultation Monday–Friday 9:00–14:00), municipal partnerships, the 71-firm Legal Network for Democracy coalition, and the Zelena svetovalnica platform. In 2024 PIC received the European Citizen Award (Državljan_ka Evrope) from the European Parliament, recognizing its contributions to human rights, democracy, and civic engagement.

Name

PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment

Legal name

PIC - Pravni center za varstvo človekovih pravic in okolja

Website

https://pic.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

1996

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PIC is a Slovenian nonprofit legal NGO providing free legal aid, public interest litigation, and policy advocacy across environmental protection, asylum/migration, rule of law, and vulnerable groups, serving 3,000+ beneficiaries annually through direct counseling, a 71-firm legal network, and EU-funded projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: PIC operates as a nonprofit organization funded primarily through donations and project-based grants. It receives support from donors including the European Union (via programs such as CERV, LIFE4ADAPT, and others), the Login5 Foundation, the Climate Fund (Eko sklad), the Ministry of Public Administration, and municipal governments for specific legal aid programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PIC is a Slovenian non-governmental, non-profit legal center that provides free legal aid, strategic advocacy, public interest litigation, policy analysis, and public awareness campaigns in three core areas: environmental protection and climate policy, asylum and migration, and protection of vulnerable groups (persons with disabilities, chronic illness, mental health conditions, and marginalized communities). The organization operates a free environmental legal counseling service (Zelena svetovalnica), publishes practical guides and reports, participates in EU-funded projects, and coordinates a Legal Network for Democracy with 71 partner law firms.

Product overview

PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organization (not a technology company) that provides legal services, advocacy, and education in three main areas: environmental protection, rule of law/democracy, and protection of vulnerable groups (asylum, migration, disability). The organization operates various legal counseling services (Zelena svetovalnica), informational tools (Vodnik do energije vetra in sonca, Štoparski vodnik), publications, and participates in multiple EU-funded projects (LINK, ENRICH, DACE, CO.A.ST). PIC also conducts awareness campaigns (Vroče mi je, PravDA! ZA PRIHODNOST) and publishes annual reports on rule of law and asylum matters. The organization collaborates with academic institutions, other NGOs, and state bodies rather than offering a traditional technology product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Zelena svetovalnica: Independent legal counseling service providing free advice on environmental protection issues, launched in early 2019.
• Zagovorniki okolja – Narava za podnebje

Products and services

• Zelena svetovalnica (Green Counseling) Free legal counseling service providing explanations and advice to individuals, civil initiatives, and NGOs on environmental protection, nature conservation, spatial planning, and climate change matters. Delivered by phone and email.
• Free Legal Aid and Counseling Free legal aid and counseling service provided directly to individuals on disability rights, asylum and migration procedures, housing law for tenants in the City Municipality of Ljubljana, and environmental protection. Delivered via phone, email, and in-person consultations.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3,000 individuals helped with legal aid; 739 asylum seekers supported; 1,042 Ukraine war response cases handled; 15 laws contributed to or drafted; 1,679 participants reached through the Legal Network for Democracy; 75 extraordinary legal remedies filed; 64 successful court protection demands; 71 law firms collaborated; Zelena svetovalnica answered 800+ environmental legal questions; 255 organizations and ~13,000 citizens signed climate action petition.

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Amnesty International Slovenija (AI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC collaborates with Amnesty International Slovenija as part of the Pravna mreža za varstvo demokracije (Legal Network for Democracy), a coalition that has provided legal aid to 1,679 citizens and filed 75 extraordinary legal remedies. Together they advocate for democracy, rule of law, and human rights.
• Danes je nov dan (DJND)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Legal Network for Democracy coalition focused on rule of law monitoring and civic rights advocacy in Slovenia.
• Zavod za kulturo raznolikosti OpencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Legal Network for Democracy coalition. Open focuses on cultural diversity and contributes to rule of law and democracy protection efforts.
• Društvo za opazovanje in proučevanje ptic Slovenije (DOPPS / BirdLife Slovenia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC and DOPPS co-organized the conference PODNEBJE IN NARAVA (Climate and Nature) and collaborate on the project Zagovorniki okolja – Narava za podnebje (Environmental Advocates – Nature for Climate). DOPPS published the manual on nature-based solutions for rivers with PIC's support.
• Katedra za mednarodno pravo pri Pravni fakulteti v LjubljanisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration with the Chair for International Law at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Law for the environmental law clinic, providing students with practical experience on environmental law issues.
• Inštitut za javno upravo pri Pravni fakulteti v LjubljanisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for the environmental law clinic, contributing expertise in public administration law alongside the international law department.
• UmanoteracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the public campaign 'Večina pričakuje ukrepe' and joint climate advocacy partner. Together they mobilized 255 organizations and ~13,000 citizens to demand climate action from the Slovenian Government.
• Focus – društvo za sonaraven razvojcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder of the climate campaign podnebnakriza.si and frequent collaborator on environmental law and climate policy advocacy. Focus and PIC also co-authored the response to the EU Omnibus proposal.
• Greenpeace SlovenijacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the podnebnakriza.si campaign coalition for demanding recognition of climate change as a national crisis and stronger climate action.
• Justice & Environment (European Network of Environmental NGOs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC is a member of the Justice & Environment network, a European network of environmental law NGOs. Through this network, PIC participates in cross-border advocacy, EU policy engagement, and projects such as DACE and ENRICH.
• Validity Foundation (Hungary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of the LINK project (CERV-2022-DAPHNE). Validity Foundation leads a multi-country initiative on accessible and child-friendly courts, with PIC as a partner focusing on Slovenia.
• APAV – Associação Portuguesa de Apoio à Vítima (Portugal)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the LINK project, contributing expertise on victim support in Portugal.
• CNR – Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Italy)supportingTechnology or IntegrationPartner in the LINK project, providing research and technical expertise from the Italian National Research Council.
• Mental Health Perspectives (Lithuania)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the LINK project, contributing expertise on mental health perspectives in Lithuania.
• VSE – Victim Support Europe (Belgium)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the LINK project, providing expertise on victim support and criminal justice across Europe.
• Varuh človekovih pravic RS (Human Rights Ombudsman of Slovenia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPIC collaborates with the Human Rights Ombudsman in the framework of the State Preventive Mechanism (Državni preventivni mehanizem), conducting 8 visits to professional centers, educational/residential groups, and nursing homes.
• Pravna fakulteta Univerze v LjubljanisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic collaboration including co-organization of conferences (e.g., national conference Pravo za družbo in naravo), environmental law clinic, and joint publications.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ClientEarth: Pan-European environmental law NGO that uses strategic litigation, policy advocacy and legal aid to drive climate and nature protection. Closest functional analog to PIC, operating at much larger scale across multiple EU jurisdictions.
• Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA): International NGO using investigations and legal advocacy to combat environmental crime and protect climate and wildlife. Comparable to PIC through its legal-advocacy approach to environmental protection.
• CEE Bankwatch Network: Network of environmental NGOs active across Central and Eastern Europe, focused on EU funding accountability and environmental rights. Directly comparable to PIC through Justice & Environment–style regional environmental advocacy.
• Hungarian Helsinki Committee: Hungary-based legal NGO providing strategic litigation and legal aid on rule of law, asylum and human rights. Comparable to PIC in mission, CEE regional context, and small-team delivery model.
• European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR): Berlin-based legal NGO using strategic litigation to advance human rights and environmental justice across Europe. Highly comparable to PIC in its combination of legal-aid delivery and impact-litigation focus.

Broad incumbents

• European Environmental Bureau (EEB): Largest EU-wide federation of environmental citizens' organizations, based in Brussels. Overlaps with PIC's environmental-advocacy remit but operates at EU institutional scale with a much broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Center for Legal Resources (Romania): Romanian NGO providing free legal aid and pursuing strategic litigation on human rights, environmental protection and rule of law — a close CEE functional analog to PIC that operates primarily within Romania.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PICPravnicenter
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pic-legal-center-for-the-protection-of-human-rights-and-the-environment
• Instagraminstagram.com/pic_pravnicenter?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about PIC – Legal Center for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment