Human Rights Project

What Human Rights Project does

Human Rights Project is a Los Angeles-based non-profit legal advocacy organization founded in 1993 by immigration attorney Judith L. Wood, Esq. The organization provides pro bono legal representation to vulnerable immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the United States, with a particular specialization in gender-based persecution claims and victims of torture. Its services are built around a small core team of four immigration attorneys supplemented by law school interns, who collectively contribute more than 55,000 hours of case work per year using international treaties, domestic asylum law, and human rights country reports.

The organization is best known for a landmark Ninth Circuit asylum case — among the founder's earliest matters — that established women as a protected class under U.S. asylum law, and for the feature film "Saint Judy" which dramatized the case and substantially raised its public profile. Auxiliary activities include public awareness campaigns, community events and fundraisers, and a "Your Stories" narrative platform documenting beneficiary outcomes. Beneficiaries originate from at least 11 countries spanning South Asia, Central America, East Asia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and North America, including high-profile work evacuating and resettling an Afghan family of five following the August 2021 Taliban takeover.

Human Rights Project operates as a private charitable non-profit funded entirely through donations, with no institutional investors, parent organization, or earned revenue from fees. Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on grassroots mobilization, media engagement, and direct outreach to surface cases. The organization also engages in policy and academic advocacy, exemplified by a co-authored publication on SSRN ("Using a Human Rights Approach in Immigration Advocacy: An Introduction") and a 2024 comparative study on gender-based asylum claims across U.S., EU, and Mexican law.

Name

Human Rights Project

Legal name

Human Rights Project by Judith L. Wood

Website

https://hrproject.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Human Rights Project is a Los Angeles-based non-profit founded in 1993 by Judith L. Wood, Esq., providing pro bono legal advocacy for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers — particularly women facing gender-based persecution — delivered by four attorneys and law school interns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro Bono Immigration Legal Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Individual and Family Services (6241), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Human Rights & Anti-Discrimination Organizations (BPAGAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Immigrant & Refugee Rights Advocacy (BPAGAFAG), Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM), Migrant & Refugee Legal Aid and Documentation Services (BPADAHAE), Protection Services (GBV, Child Protection, Legal Aid) (BPADADAH)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Immigration legal advocacy
• Asylum law representation
• Human rights advocacy
• Refugee legal assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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 and Fundraising: Organization relies on public donations to fund operations, legal advocacy, and pro bono case work. Donors can contribute directly through the website and support specific initiatives like education, empowerment, legal support, and advocacy programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Human Rights Project provides pro bono immigration legal representation to vulnerable immigrants, refugees, and asylees, with particular specialization in gender-based asylum claims and victims of torture. The organization is staffed by four immigration attorneys and law school interns delivering over 55,000 hours of legal work per year, complemented by public education, awareness campaigns, and community fundraising events.

Product overview

Human Rights Project is a single-service non-profit legal organization offering pro bono legal advocacy for immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. The core offering consists of legal case representation services, supplemented by public awareness campaigns, community events and fundraisers, and a storytelling platform for beneficiaries. All services are delivered by a team of four immigration attorneys and law school interns, with over 55,000 labor hours contributed annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pro Bono Legal Representation

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully changed U.S. asylum law to include women as a protected class through landmark Ninth Circuit case
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SSRN (Social Science Research Network)minorOthersPublished research paper 'Using a Human Rights Approach in Immigration Advocacy: An Introduction' co-authored by Judith L. Wood on SSRN platform for academic distribution.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• ACLU Immigrants' Rights Project: Major ACLU division that conducts impact litigation and advocacy on immigrant rights, including asylum and gender-based claims. Operates as a much larger incumbent in the same immigration legal advocacy space.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC): Global humanitarian nonprofit providing resettlement, legal aid, and advocacy for refugees and displaced people in the U.S. and abroad. Overlaps with HRP's refugee legal services mission at greater scale and broader geographic footprint.

Direct peers

• National Immigration Law Center (NILC): National advocacy organization dedicated to defending and advancing the rights of low-income immigrants through litigation, policy analysis, and advocacy. Comparable as an immigration rights legal advocacy nonprofit with overlapping mission.
• Tahirih Justice Center: National nonprofit providing direct legal services, advocacy, and public education for immigrant women and girls fleeing gender-based violence; HRP shares the same gender-asylum specialization.
• HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society): International Jewish nonprofit that provides legal aid, resettlement, and advocacy for refugees and asylum seekers, including gender-based persecution cases. Highly comparable as a pro bono immigration legal services and refugee rights organization.
• RAICES (Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services): Largest immigration legal services nonprofit in Texas, providing pro bono representation to refugees and immigrants facing removal, asylum, and family-based cases. Directly comparable as a pro bono immigration legal aid organization serving vulnerable populations.
• Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA): Los Angeles-based immigrant rights organization providing legal services, advocacy, and organizing for immigrant communities in Southern California. Directly comparable geographic and service overlap with HRP.
• Catholic Charities of Los Angeles: Regional faith-based nonprofit providing immigration legal services, refugee resettlement, and social support in the same Los Angeles market as HRP, with overlapping immigrant populations and pro bono legal offerings.
• Justice for Migrant Women: National advocacy organization focused on protecting migrant women's rights through policy advocacy and community organizing. Comparable as an organization centered on gender-based protection for immigrants.
• Kids in Need of Defense (KIND): National nonprofit dedicated to the protection of unaccompanied children who have entered the U.S. immigration system, providing pro bono legal representation. Comparable as a pro bono immigration legal services organization focused on vulnerable minors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/human-rights-project

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Human Rights Project