Te Ara Ture
Te Ara Ture is a New Zealand non-profit pro bono legal clearinghouse, operating as a division of Community Law Centres o Aotearoa Incorporated. It matches disadvantaged individuals and not-for-profit organisations with volunteer lawyers via the Justice Connect Pro Bono Portal, funded by the Ministry of Justice.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersWellington, New Zealand
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Te Ara Ture does
Te Ara Ture is a New Zealand-based non-profit pro bono legal clearinghouse that connects disadvantaged individuals and not-for-profit organisations with volunteer lawyers across every area of law. The organisation operates as a division of Community Law Centres o Aotearoa Incorporated and is funded by the Ministry of Justice, targeting serious legal issues affecting the bottom 50% of New Zealand's population who lack meaningful access to justice. Eligible clients are primarily referred through New Zealand's Community Law Centre network, with direct applications accepted via the Pro Bono Portal.
The organisation's core product is a secure online Pro Bono Portal — an award-winning workflow platform originally developed by Justice Connect in Australia and operated by Te Ara Ture as a standalone New Zealand instance — that handles matter intake, lawyer registration, expression-of-interest management, document transfer, and case communications. The portal supports three user populations: disadvantaged individuals seeking free legal help, not-for-profit organisations needing specialist legal assistance, and volunteer lawyers/firms who register to take on pro bono matters.
Te Ara Ture's revenue model is government grant funding from the Ministry of Justice; the organisation does not charge clients for legal services, as legal assistance is delivered free by volunteer lawyers. The go-to-market motion is community-led and referral-driven, with Community Law Centres functioning as the principal distribution channel and the portal as a self-serve intake and registration mechanism. Operations are confined to Aotearoa New Zealand, led by Director Sabrina Muck (appointed November 2023) and Referral Manager Lee DiFilippo, supported by a team of 1-10 employees.
Te Ara Ture firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Te Ara Ture
- Legal name
- Te Ara Ture
- Website
- https://tearature.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Te Ara Ture is a New Zealand non-profit pro bono legal clearinghouse, operating as a division of Community Law Centres o Aotearoa Incorporated. It matches disadvantaged individuals and not-for-profit organisations with volunteer lawyers via the Justice Connect Pro Bono Portal, funded by the Ministry of Justice.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Te Ara Ture industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Pro Bono Legal Services
- NAICS
- Individual and Family Services (6241), Legal Services (5411)
- SIC
- Services-Legal Services (8111), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE)
Keywords
Where Te Ara Ture is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellington
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Te Ara Ture business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Funding: Te Ara Ture is funded by the Ministry of Justice. As a pro bono clearinghouse, it does not charge clients for legal services - the legal assistance is provided free by volunteer lawyers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Other | Free pro bono legal services for eligible clients |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Te Ara Ture product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Te Ara Ture runs a pro bono legal referral service that connects disadvantaged individuals and not-for-profit organisations with volunteer lawyers from a network of hundreds across New Zealand. Cases handled span family law, estate, tenancy, employment, immigration, and criminal matters, with services delivered free of charge through an online Pro Bono Portal that manages matching, workflows and communications.
Product overview
Te Ara Ture operates a single unified platform called the Pro Bono Portal, which serves as a pro bono clearinghouse connecting disadvantaged individuals and organisations with volunteer lawyers. The portal handles the complete referral workflow from opportunity posting through placement and case management, enabling Te Ara Ture to bridge the gap between those in legal need and volunteer legal assistance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Pro Bono Legal Referral Service for Individuals A free service that connects disadvantaged individuals in New Zealand facing serious legal issues (family law, estate, tenancy, employment, immigration, criminal) with volunteer lawyers from Te Ara Ture's network of hundreds across the country. Delivered at no cost to eligible clients.
- Pro Bono Legal Assistance for Not-for-Profit Organisations
Quantifiable outcome
- Stronger families and communities through access to justice
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Te Ara Ture
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Te Ara Ture technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Te Ara Ture partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Justice ConnectcoreJustice Connect developed the award-winning pro bono portal software used by Te Ara Ture. The software is used in Australia by over 170 firms and is being rolled out in multiple jurisdictions. Te Ara Ture hosts and operates a standalone version of the software.
- Simpson GriersonminorSimpson Grierson provided detailed written guidance to Community Law Centres in response to the COVID traffic light system within 3 days of the system being announced. The information was posted as FAQs on the Community Law website.
- Community Law Centres o AotearoacoreTe Ara Ture is a division of Community Law Centres o Aotearoa Incorporated. Community Law Centres serve as the primary referral partners, sending eligible clients to the pro bono clearinghouse.
- Ministry of JusticecoreThe Ministry of Justice is the primary funder of Te Ara Ture, providing government funding to support the organisation's operations as a pro bono clearinghouse.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Te Ara Ture competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Justice Connect: Australian not-for-profit that developed the Pro Bono Portal software Te Ara Ture uses. Operates a near-identical pro bono referral model connecting disadvantaged people and NFPs with volunteer lawyers, making it the closest functional peer.
- Pro Bono Net: US-based nonprofit operating online portals and resources that connect volunteer lawyers with low-income clients and legal aid organisations. Highly comparable technology-enabled pro bono referral model.
- LawWorks: UK charity that brokers pro bono legal assistance from law firms to individuals and not-for-profits in need. Directly comparable mission, referral-based clearinghouse model, and volunteer-lawyer network.
- Pro Bono Ontario: Canadian pro bono referral service matching low-income Ontarians and nonprofits with volunteer lawyers. Mirrors Te Ara Ture's clearinghouse structure and target population of disadvantaged individuals.
- LawAccess (NSW): NSW-based telephone and online legal referral service connecting disadvantaged people with lawyers and pro bono schemes. Highly comparable referral mechanism and client base.
Emerging players
- PILnet: International not-for-profit that mobilises pro bono legal support for civil society organisations globally. Overlaps with Te Ara Ture's NFP-focused segment and public interest case work, but operates at global scale.
- TrustLaw (Thomson Reuters Foundation): Global pro bono legal programme operated by the Thomson Reuters Foundation, connecting NGOs and social enterprises with top law firms. Comparable mission with international rather than single-country scope.
Broad incumbents
- Australian Pro Bono Centre: National peak body supporting pro bono legal work across Australia, including national pro bono targets and practice resources. Broader mandate than Te Ara Ture's referral focus but operates in the same access-to-justice space.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Te Ara Ture social profiles
Digital presenceTe Ara Ture financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Te Ara Ture leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Te Ara Ture funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Te Ara Ture 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 Te Ara Ture
What does Te Ara Ture do?
Te Ara Ture runs a pro bono legal referral service that connects disadvantaged individuals and not-for-profit organisations with volunteer lawyers from a network of hundreds across New Zealand. Cases handled span family law, estate, tenancy, employment, immigration, and criminal matters, with services delivered free of charge through an online Pro Bono Portal that manages matching, workflows and communications.
Is Te Ara Ture a public or private company?
Te Ara Ture is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Te Ara Ture founded?
Te Ara Ture was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Te Ara Ture based?
Te Ara Ture is headquartered in Wellington, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Te Ara Ture make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding.
Who are Te Ara Ture's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Justice Connect, Pro Bono Net, LawWorks, Pro Bono Ontario and LawAccess (NSW). Emerging players are PILnet and TrustLaw (Thomson Reuters Foundation). Australian Pro Bono Centre is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Te Ara Ture have an API?
No public API is recorded for Te Ara Ture.
What industry is Te Ara Ture in?
Te Ara Ture's product category is Pro Bono Legal Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAEAM, Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services, with a secondary code of FSAAANAE, Estate Administration & Probate Services. Its NAICS code is 6241 and its SIC code is 8111.