Step Up To Justice
Step Up To Justice is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free civil legal aid, community education, and direct representation to low-income residents of Pima County, Arizona, using a volunteer attorney model.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersTucson, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Step Up To Justice does
Step Up To Justice is a privately funded 501(c)(3) nonprofit pro bono law center founded in Fall 2016 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. It provides free civil legal assistance, community education, and direct representation to low-income residents of Pima County, Arizona, in areas including housing, family law, domestic violence, consumer fraud, bankruptcy, employment, and wills/probate. The organization operates a unified service model combining legal clinics (in-person and virtual), direct representation by volunteer attorneys, and a portfolio of seven community education programs (RENT, MAPP, WORK, BEACON, Caring for Children, End of Life Planning, and Adult Guardianship) delivered in English and Spanish.
The organization is powered by a network of 280+ volunteer attorneys coordinated by a small core staff of approximately 8-10 employees, including an Executive Director, Associate Director, Program Coordinators, a Staff Attorney, and a Federal Court Clinic Coordinator. Its technology stack is minimal: LegalServer for client intake and a Squarespace-hosted website for content distribution. The organization differentiates itself from government-funded legal aid by serving clients ineligible for those programs, including undocumented individuals and people with re-entry status. It has served 12,263 applicants and conducted 4,441 client clinics between January 2017 and June 2026.
The revenue model is entirely donation-driven, with five streams: individual donations (including a $25/month "Steward" monthly giving program), corporate and foundation grants (Agnese Nelms Haury, American Bar Endowment, American College of Bankruptcy Foundation, Arizona End Of Life Care Partnership, H.S. Lopez Family Foundation, Tucson Electric Power, Cox Communications), workplace giving and employer matching, stock/securities donations, and legacy gifts. All services are provided free of charge to qualifying clients. The organization is governed by a 15+ member Board of Directors that includes sitting judges from the Arizona Supreme Court, Arizona Court of Appeals, and Arizona Superior Court in Pima County, lending institutional credibility. Strategic partners include the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, Innovation for Justice (i4J), the State Bar of Arizona, the Pima County Bar Association, and multiple Arizona courts.
Step Up To Justice firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Step Up To Justice
- Legal name
- Step Up to Justice
- Website
- https://stepuptojustice.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Step Up To Justice is a Tucson-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides free civil legal aid, community education, and direct representation to low-income residents of Pima County, Arizona, using a volunteer attorney model.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Step Up To Justice industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Legal Aid Services
- NAICS
- Legal Services (5411), Offices of Lawyers (54111), Individual and Family Services (6241)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN)
Keywords
Where Step Up To Justice is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tucson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Step Up To Justice business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Individual Donations: Monthly 'Steward' giving program starting at $25/month, one-time donations, and annual giving. Donors receive tax deductions as SU2J is a 501(c)(3) organization. Arizona Charitable Tax Credit available up to $506 for single filers and $1,009 for joint filers.
- Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations including Agnese Nelms Haury Foundation, American Bar Endowment, American College of Bankruptcy Foundation, Arizona End Of Life Care Partnership, H.S. Lopez Family Foundation, and others. Corporate sponsors include Tucson Electric Power, Cox Communications, and numerous law firms.
- Workplace Giving and Employer Programs: Automatic payroll deductions, employer matching gift programs, and workplace giving campaigns.
- Stock and Securities Donations: Donors can contribute appreciated stock or securities held for at least one year, receiving income deduction for current value while avoiding capital gains.
- Legacy Gifts: Bequests from wills, retirement plan designations, or life insurance policies.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Free civil legal services for qualifying low-income residents |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Step Up To Justice product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Step Up To Justice provides free civil legal assistance to qualifying low-income individuals and families in Pima County, Arizona, through direct representation by volunteer attorneys, in-person and virtual legal clinics, and a portfolio of community education programs covering housing (RENT, MAPP), employment (WORK), bankruptcy (BEACON), and family/estate topics (Caring for Children, End of Life Planning, Adult Guardianship). The organization is a 501(c)(3) Pro Bono Law Center powered by volunteer attorneys and privately funded so that all eligible clients — including undocumented individuals — can be served.
Product overview
Step Up To Justice is a Pro Bono Law Center providing free civil legal services to low-income residents of Pima County, Arizona. The organization operates a unified service model combining direct legal aid (family law, housing, bankruptcy, employment, consumer protection, wills/probate), community education programs (RENT, MAPP, WORK, BEACON, Caring for Children, End of Life Planning, Adult Guardianship), and volunteer attorney coordination. Services are delivered through legal clinics for coaching and direct representation for approved clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Civil Legal Aid Services Free non-criminal legal help including family law, housing, domestic violence, consumer fraud, bankruptcy, employment, wills/probate, and other civil matters for low-income residents of Pima County, Arizona.
- Legal Clinics In-person and virtual clinics where volunteer attorneys provide one-on-one coaching and legal advice to self-represented clients across practice areas such as family law, housing, bankruptcy, and employment.
- Direct Representation Approved clients are assigned a volunteer attorney for full case representation throughout their legal matter, covering housing, family law, consumer, employment, and other civil cases.
- RENT (Renter Education for Neighborhoods & Tenants)
Quantifiable outcome
- 12,263 applicants served and 4,441 client clinics conducted from 2017-2026
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Step Up To Justice
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
Step Up To Justice technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Step Up To Justice partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of LawcorePartnership for RENT Project (Renter Education for Neighborhoods & Tenants). The law school collaborated on curriculum development and launch of the tenant education program.
- Innovation for Justice (i4J)corePartnership for RENT Project. i4J at University of Arizona College of Law collaborated on development and launch of the tenant education curriculum.
- Chicanos Por La CausacoreCollaborated on creation of RENT Project videos. Community organization helping with video production and content for tenant education materials.
- Cox CommunicationscoreVideo production partner for Adult Guardianship, End of Life Planning, and RENT projects. Produced educational video content for community education curriculum.
- SouthWest ContentminorProduced MAPP Project videos for mobile home education content.
- Arizona Superior Court in Pima CountycoreCommunity funding partner providing institutional support for legal services delivery.
- Pima County Community and Workforce DevelopmentcoreCommunity funding partner supporting access to civil justice services.
- United States District CourtcoreCommunity funding partner supporting Federal Court Clinic Project.
- Pima County Bar AssociationcoreProfessional association partner; connects clients with legal services and supports pro bono initiatives.
- State Bar of ArizonacoreAllows pro bono hours with SU2J to count as CLE credit. Professional partner supporting attorney volunteerism.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Step Up To Justice competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Florida Legal Services: A statewide nonprofit legal aid umbrella organization that funds and coordinates civil legal aid programs across Florida. Comparable as a broader-scope nonprofit legal aid entity, though operating a funder/aggregator role rather than direct service in one county like SU2J.
- Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Atlanta Legal Aid Society provides free civil legal services to low-income clients in metropolitan Atlanta. Comparable as a volunteer-supported civil legal aid organization serving low-income communities with similar practice areas (housing, family, consumer).
- Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: LAFLA is a large, established nonprofit providing free civil legal services to low-income residents of Los Angeles. Comparable as a long-standing, mission-driven civil legal aid provider, though much larger in scale and scope than SU2J.
Others
- American Bar Association (Pro Bono & Public Service): ABA's pro bono programs set standards, provide resources, and recognize pro bono legal service organizations. SU2J has been formally recognized by ABA (Celebration of Pro Bono 2022), making ABA a comparable ecosystem participant and credentialing body for pro bono legal service entities.
- Pro Bono Institute: PBI is an NGO that supports pro bono legal service delivery nationally through training, resources, and recognition programs. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for pro bono legal services, though PBI operates nationally as an associational body rather than as a direct service provider like SU2J.
- National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA): NLADA is a national membership and advocacy organization for civil legal aid and public defense providers across the U.S. Comparable as a peer network association for organizations like SU2J, providing training, resources, and a peer community in the legal aid ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Community Legal Services of Arizona (CLS): CLS Arizona is a statewide LSC-funded legal aid organization providing civil legal services to low-income Arizonans. Comparable to SU2J in target population and practice areas, though operating at much greater scale and across a wider geography.
- DNA People's Legal Services: DNA People's Legal Services is a federally funded tribal/remote-area legal aid organization providing free civil legal services to low-income clients across multiple counties. It is comparable as a nonprofit legal aid provider focused on access to justice for underserved populations.
- Southern Arizona Legal Aid: Southern Arizona Legal Aid is the primary LSC-funded civil legal aid provider in Pima County, offering free civil legal services to low-income residents. It is the most direct competitor/peer in the same geography and practice areas. SU2J staff have prior experience at SALA (e.g., Staff Attorney Gary Kraft), underscoring direct organizational comparability.
- Volunteer Lawyers Project: Volunteer Lawyers Project operates pro bono legal services programs in multiple U.S. cities, leveraging volunteer attorneys to provide free civil legal services. Comparable to SU2J's volunteer-attorney-driven model and focus on serving low-income clients with civil legal needs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Step Up To Justice social profiles
Digital presenceStep Up To Justice financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Step Up To Justice leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Step Up To Justice funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Step Up To Justice M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Step Up To Justice
What does Step Up To Justice do?
Step Up To Justice provides free civil legal assistance to qualifying low-income individuals and families in Pima County, Arizona, through direct representation by volunteer attorneys, in-person and virtual legal clinics, and a portfolio of community education programs covering housing (RENT, MAPP), employment (WORK), bankruptcy (BEACON), and family/estate topics (Caring for Children, End of Life Planning, Adult Guardianship). The organization is a 501(c)(3) Pro Bono Law Center powered by volunteer attorneys and privately funded so that all eligible clients — including undocumented individuals — can be served.
Is Step Up To Justice a public or private company?
Step Up To Justice is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Step Up To Justice founded?
Step Up To Justice was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Step Up To Justice based?
Step Up To Justice is headquartered in Tucson, United States, in the North America region.
How does Step Up To Justice make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Individual Donations are the primary driver. The others are corporate and Foundation Grants, workplace Giving and Employer Programs, stock and Securities Donations and legacy Gifts.
Who are Step Up To Justice's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Florida Legal Services, Atlanta Legal Aid Society and Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles. Others are American Bar Association (Pro Bono & Public Service), Pro Bono Institute and National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA). Direct peers are Community Legal Services of Arizona (CLS), DNA People's Legal Services, Southern Arizona Legal Aid and Volunteer Lawyers Project.
Does Step Up To Justice have an API?
No public API is recorded for Step Up To Justice.
What industry is Step Up To Justice in?
Step Up To Justice's product category is Civil Legal Aid Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAM, Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAN, Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services. Its NAICS code is 5411 and its SIC code is 8111.