NC Pro Bono Resource Center

What NC Pro Bono Resource Center does

The NC Pro Bono Resource Center (PBRC) is a Raleigh, North Carolina-based nonprofit established in April 2016 by the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission as a program of the NC Equal Access to Justice Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3). It operates as the designated statewide clearinghouse that connects volunteer attorneys with pro bono civil legal opportunities, hosting more than 30 active pro bono projects on its website platform (ncprobono.org) spanning housing, eviction defense, driver's license restoration, family law, immigration, patent law, veterans' benefits, and guardian ad litem appellate representation. PBRC also coordinates the Pro Bono Coordinators' Network, manages voluntary pro bono reporting through the NC State Bar member portal, and administers the NC Pro Bono Honor Society, which since its inaugural 2016 cohort has recognized attorneys donating 50+ hours annually under NC Rule of Professional Conduct 6.1.

The organization runs on a donation- and grant-funded model with no fees charged to attorneys or legal services organizations for its matching services. Its technology footprint is modest: a website-based clearinghouse supplemented by organic social channels (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter), an email newsletter, and selective civic-tech collaborations (e.g., Code for Durham) for case identification in expunction and license-restoration programs. Staff is small (1–10 employees), led by Director Sylvia Novinsky alongside Restorative Justice Project Director Meghan Martie, Restorative Justice Program Director Leigh Wicclair, and Senior Staff Attorney Ayana Robinson. The customer base spans two sides of a two-sided network — volunteer attorneys seeking meaningful opportunities and legal aid organizations (Legal Aid of NC, Pisgah Legal Services, Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy) seeking volunteer capacity — with end beneficiaries being low-income North Carolinians facing unmet civil legal needs in a state where 80% of the civil legal needs of people living in poverty go unmet.

Name

NC Pro Bono Resource Center

Legal name

North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center

Website

https://ncprobono.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The NC Pro Bono Resource Center is a Raleigh-based nonprofit that serves as North Carolina's statewide clearinghouse connecting volunteer attorneys with pro bono civil legal opportunities across housing, driver's license restoration, family law, veterans' benefits, and other civil matters, supporting legal aid organizations and low-income North Carolinians.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Legal Aid Coordination

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Civil Liberties & Constitutional Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAA)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Legal aid clearinghouse
• Volunteer attorney matching
• Civil legal access
• Nonprofit legal support

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: The organization is a program of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)(3) organization. It operates on donations and likely receives grants from foundations to support its programs.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The NC Pro Bono Resource Center serves as a statewide clearinghouse that links volunteer attorneys to meaningful pro bono civil legal service opportunities across North Carolina. It operates the ncprobono.org website platform, which lists and categorizes pro bono projects, facilitates connections between volunteer attorneys and legal services organizations, and hosts training and coordinator events. The Center also coordinates specific initiatives such as the Driver's License Restoration Project and the Housing Stability Project, and administers the NC Pro Bono Honor Society recognizing attorneys who report 50+ hours of service annually.

Product overview

The North Carolina Pro Bono Resource Center is a nonprofit organization that serves as the statewide clearinghouse linking attorneys to pro bono legal opportunities. The organization operates primarily through its website platform (ncprobono.org), which hosts a searchable database of pro bono projects and volunteer opportunities. Key offerings include the Driver's License Restoration Project, Housing Stability Project, and various legal clinics. The center also manages the NC Pro Bono Honor Society for recognizing outstanding volunteer attorneys and provides pro bono reporting tools for attorneys. The organization functions as a program of the North Carolina Equal Access to Justice Commission.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 170 attorneys recognized in inaugural Pro Bono Honor Society, providing 25,700+ hours of service in 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• North Carolina Equal Access to Justice CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PBRC was established by and operates as a program of the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission. The Commission oversees the statewide pro bono reporting initiative and recognition programs.
• North Carolina Administrative Office of the CourtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners to acquire court data for identifying cases eligible for driver's license restoration programs and expunction initiatives across the state.
• Legal Aid of North CarolinacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary legal services provider in NC; PBRC works with LANC on multiple projects including Housing Stability Project, Eviction Defense, and Driver's License Restoration.
• North Carolina Bar FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on Patent Pro Bono Program and Free Legal Answers initiatives; supports funding and program development for attorney volunteerism.
• Pisgah Legal ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern North Carolina legal aid provider serving 17 counties; PBRC connects volunteers for immigration, housing, and other civil legal matters.
• Charlotte Center for Legal AdvocacycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormerly Legal Services of Southern Piedmont; serves Charlotte area and partners on various pro bono initiatives.
• NC Justice CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJustice advocacy organization collaborating on Driver's License Restoration Mass Relief Pro Bono Project and systemic justice reform efforts.
• Durham Expunction & Restoration Program (DEAR)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative model involving courts, NC Justice Center, Legal Aid of NC, NC Equal Access to Justice Commission, NC Pro Bono Resource Center, local law schools, and Code for Durham to provide expunction and license restoration services.
• NC Division of Motor VehiclesminorOthersState agency that must revoke licenses for failure to appear or pay; PBRC works within this framework to help residents restore driving privileges.
• North Carolina Law SchoolsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with NC law schools including UNC School of Law, NC Central University School of Law, and Wake Forest University School of Law for student involvement in pro bono clinics and programs.
• Code for DurhamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCivic technology organization that partnered on the Durham Expunction & Restoration Program to develop tools for identifying eligible cases.
• North Carolina State BarcoreOthersOversees the Out-of-State Attorney and Pro Bono Emeritus Attorney programs that allow attorneys from other jurisdictions to volunteer in NC; administers pro bono reporting through member portal.
• Georgia PatentsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNonprofit partner that accepts, assesses and processes client applications for North Carolina residents and provides referrals to the Patent Pro Bono Program.
• American Bar AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational partnership on Free Legal Answers portal and various pro bono initiatives including disaster relief and veterans programs.
• NC Guardian ad Litem ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners on the GAL Appellate Pro Bono Program where volunteer attorneys represent children's best interests in juvenile appeals.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation: State-funded entity that distributes resources to civil legal aid programs across Massachusetts. Operates the analogous statewide coordinating/funding role that the NC Equal Access to Justice Commission and Foundation play for PBRC, but in a different state.

Broad incumbents

• ABA Center for Pro Bono: The American Bar Association's hub for pro bono programs including Free Legal Answers and national recognition initiatives. Directly overlaps PBRC's work through Free Legal Answers for Veterans; PBRC is a state-level partner within ABA's national framework.
• National Legal Aid & Defender Association: National membership and advocacy organization for civil legal aid and public defender organizations. Operates one level above PBRC in the access-to-justice ecosystem, providing policy, training, and convening support rather than direct volunteer matching.
• Pro Bono Institute: National nonprofit that supports and promotes pro bono legal service across large law firms, in-house counsel, and public interest organizations. Comparable in pro bono promotion mission, but operates at a broader, more policy-oriented level than PBRC's clearinghouse role.

Direct peers

• LawHelp.org: National online directory of free legal aid providers and self-help resources operated by Pro Bono Net. Mirrors PBRC's role as a referral and matching layer between low-income clients and pro bono attorneys.
• Pisgah Legal Services: Western North Carolina legal aid provider serving 17 counties and a core PBRC partner. Comparable on civil legal aid mission and reliance on PBRC's volunteer pipeline for capacity supplementation.
• Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy: Charlotte-area civil legal aid provider (formerly Legal Services of Southern Piedmont) and PBRC partner. Comparable nonprofit legal aid model serving low-income residents in a defined North Carolina region.
• Pro Bono Net: National nonprofit that builds technology platforms to connect pro bono attorneys with clients and legal aid organizations. Most directly comparable to PBRC on the clearinghouse and matching function, operating at a national scale.
• Legal Aid of North Carolina: North Carolina's largest civil legal aid provider and PBRC's primary program partner on Housing Stability, Eviction Defense, and Driver's License Restoration. Comparable mission of delivering civil legal services to low-income residents, with PBRC supplying the volunteer pipeline.
• Texas Access to Justice Commission: Texas state-level commission that funds and supports civil legal aid for low-income Texans. Functionally analogous to PBRC's parent NC Equal Access to Justice Commission in coordinating statewide access-to-justice infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/ncprobono
• Facebookfacebook.com/ncprobono
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ncprobono
• Instagraminstagram.com/ncprobono/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about NC Pro Bono Resource Center