Asian Law Caucus

What Asian Law Caucus does

Asian Law Caucus is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit civil rights legal organization founded in 1972 in Oakland, California and now headquartered at 55 Columbus Avenue in San Francisco's Chinatown. It is the nation's first Asian American legal aid organization and delivers free direct legal services, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community education to low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across six primary issue verticals: immigrant rights, housing, workers' rights, voting rights, and national security/civil rights, with an additional community-safety unit. Its work spans 18 or more ethnic and racial groups and is delivered through multilingual know-your-rights materials, individual representation, and class action lawsuits in state and federal courts.

The organization's core products are its legal services portfolio rather than a technology platform. Active signature matters include a June 2026 U.S. Supreme Court victory on birthright citizenship (Trump v. Barbara), a $4 million Yank Sing wage-theft settlement, the Mathis v. County of Siskiyou domestic-water settlement for the Shasta Vista mobile home community, and the Chhoeun v. Quinones class action settlement. ALC also pursues affirmative federal litigation against agencies including the IRS, ICE, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department. The organization operates a formal Legal Fellowships program as a talent pipeline and is a member of the Asian Americans Advancing Justice affiliation network.

The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: revenue is generated through donations, foundation grants, and contributions, and all client services are free of charge. ALC employs more than 60 staff members, serves thousands of clients annually, and partners with more than 100 grassroots community organizations to extend its reach. There is no fee-for-service pricing model, no enterprise customer base, and no disclosed revenue figures in the available material.

Name

Asian Law Caucus

Legal name

Advancing Justice - Asian Law Caucus

Website

https://asianlawcaucus.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Asian Law Caucus is a nonprofit legal aid organization founded in 1972 that provides free civil rights legal services to low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander communities across immigrant rights, housing, workers' rights, voting rights, and civil liberties through direct representation, class action litigation, and policy advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Racial & Ethnic Justice Organizations (BPAGAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

Keywords

• Civil rights legal aid
• Immigrant rights advocacy
• Housing rights defense
• Workers rights representation
• Voting rights protection

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

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. Donations: The organization relies on donations from supporters to power their work. The website prominently features a donate button and calls for contributions to keep powering their community defense efforts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Asian Law Caucus provides free, direct civil legal representation, advocacy, and community organizing for low-income Asian American and Pacific Islander individuals and families. Core practice areas include immigrant rights, housing rights, workers' rights, voting rights, civil/constitutional rights, and community safety/national security, delivered by a staff of 60+ attorneys and organizers out of its San Francisco Chinatown office.

Product overview

Asian Law Caucus is a legal nonprofit organization (not a technology company) that provides civil rights and legal services to Asian American and Pacific Islander communities. The organization operates as a unified legal services practice rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Its core offerings include direct legal representation and advice in immigrant rights, housing rights, workers' rights, voting rights, and national security/civil liberties. Supporting services include Know Your Rights educational guides in multiple languages, the Birthright Citizenship advocacy campaign, and a Legal Fellowships program for emerging civil rights lawyers. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying low-income community members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Immigrant Rights Legal Services
• Housing Rights Legal Services
• Workers' Rights Legal Services
• Voting Rights Legal Services
• Civil Rights Legal Services
• Community Safety and National Security Legal Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Won settlement allowing elderly Chinatown tenants to remain in rent-controlled homes without harassment
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

23 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• ACLU Foundation of Northern CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Co-counsel in Mathis v. County of Siskiyou settlement representing Shasta Vista residents on water access rights.
• Covington & Burling LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026Co-counsel in Mathis v. County of Siskiyou representing residents challenging water access restrictions.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Lead co-counsel in birthright citizenship lawsuit challenging Trump executive order. Multiple ACLU affiliates (New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts) joined as co-plaintiffs.
• State Democracy Defenders FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-plaintiff in nationwide class-action lawsuit challenging birthright citizenship executive order.
• Legal Defense FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-plaintiff in birthright citizenship lawsuit, contributing legal expertise on constitutional and civil rights issues.
• Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-counsel in lawsuit challenging ICE-IRS-SSA information sharing. Filed FOIA lawsuit to obtain records on taxpayer data sharing.
• Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2025Co-counsel in lawsuit challenging ICE access to taxpayer information; provides litigation support on privacy and constitutional rights.
• CAIR-LAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Council on American-Islamic Relations Los Angeles; co-plaintiff in lawsuit against Orange County over forced removal of hijabs during protests.
• Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017National organization working on Southeast Asian civil rights issues; collaborated on advocacy for Cambodian and Vietnamese community members facing deportation.
• Sidley Austin LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2017Major law firm serving as co-counsel in Chhoeun v. Quinones class action lawsuit representing Cambodian nationals with deportation orders. Appointed class counsel alongside Asian Law Caucus.
• Filipino Advocates for JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area organization that worked with ALC to help Filipino airport screeners organize and fight for their jobs after 9/11 discrimination.
• International Hotel Tenant AssociationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistoric partnership defending International Hotel residents in San Francisco (1975), Manilatown Center collaboration.
• Southeast Asian Freedom Network (SEAFN)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network supporting Southeast Asian communities; partnered on advocacy efforts for Cambodian nationals with deportation orders.
• Asian Prisoner Support Committee (APSC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia-based organization providing support to Asian and Pacific Islander prisoners and families; resource partner for Chhoeun class members.
• Khmer Anti-Deportation and Advocacy Group (KhAAG)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWashington-based organization supporting Khmer community; resource partner for Cambodian nationals with final removal orders.
• Providence Youth Student Movement (PrYSM)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRhode Island organization supporting Southeast Asian youth; deportation defense hotline and support for class members.
• San Francisco Community Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit that acquired 53 Columbus building for renovation as affordable housing cooperative; ALC serves as ground floor tenant anchor.
• Solidarity IssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMovement building organization providing tools, trainings, and narratives for transformative solidarity practices; campaign collaboration.
• San Francisco Anti-Displacement CoalitionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition organizing against evictions and rent increases; ALC participates in citywide coalition to keep San Francisco housed.
• Center for Empowering Refugees and Immigrants (CERI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerBay Area organization serving refugees and immigrants; resource partner for Chhoeun class members.
• Asian American Resource Workshop (AARW)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassachusetts-based organization serving Asian American communities; resource partner for Cambodian community members.
• Asian Refugees UnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in lawsuit against DHS and State Department demanding answers on deportation practices of Asian refugee communities.
• Sikh CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-plaintiff in lawsuit against California DMV cancellation of commercial driver's licenses affecting Sikh truck drivers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR): Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization that co-litigates with ALC (e.g., the Orange County hijab-removal case). Structurally analogous community-focused legal advocacy nonprofit serving a specific ethnic/religious constituency.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice: National AAPI-focused legal and civil rights umbrella organization of which ALC is an affiliated member. Operates the same dual mission of direct legal services and policy advocacy for Asian American communities, making it the closest structural peer.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU): National civil rights legal organization that co-counsels with ALC on major cases including Trump v. Barbara. Directly comparable as a multi-issue nonprofit legal advocacy organization pursuing constitutional and civil rights litigation on behalf of marginalized communities.
• Sikh Coalition: Community-driven Sikh civil rights organization that has partnered with ALC on cases like the California DMV CDL lawsuit. Serves as a relevant peer for how Asian-faith minority communities organize to litigate civil rights impacts.
• Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law: National nonprofit legal organization that mobilizes private lawyers to advance civil rights; shares ALC's model of combining direct services, impact litigation, and coalition advocacy across issue areas including voting rights and immigrant rights.
• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National nonprofit dedicated to defending the civil rights of low-income immigrants; co-plaintiff or allied counsel in many of the same immigration-related matters ALC litigates (e.g., bond hearings, ICE detentions). Directly comparable mission on the immigrant-justice axis of ALC's work.
• Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF): National Latino civil rights legal organization founded in 1968 with a similar model combining direct representation, impact litigation, and policy advocacy for a specific racial/ethnic community. Strong structural analog to ALC's role for AAPI communities.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Defense Fund (LDF): Historic civil rights legal organization founded by Thurgood Marshall; co-counsel alongside ALC in Trump v. Barbara. Operates a comparable model of multi-decade impact litigation paired with policy advocacy for racial justice communities.
• Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC): Large, established civil rights nonprofit combining impact litigation, policy advocacy, and education on behalf of marginalized groups. Comparable in combining litigation, advocacy, and donor-supported funding model, though broader in scope than AAPI-specific work.

Regional players

• Public Counsel: Los Angeles-based pro bono legal services and advocacy nonprofit providing direct representation to low-income communities; comparable in providing free legal aid on housing, workers' rights, and immigration, but primarily Southern California focused rather than Bay Area.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AsianLawCaucus
• Facebookfacebook.com/asianlawcaucus
• Instagraminstagram.com/asianlawcaucus
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asian-law-caucus

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 Asian Law Caucus