dekalb volunteer lawyers foundation

What dekalb volunteer lawyers foundation does

DeKalb Pro Bono (formerly DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal services organization founded in June 1982 in DeKalb County, Georgia, that provides free civil legal assistance to low-income residents who cannot afford private attorneys. The organization was established as a joint project of the Decatur-DeKalb Bar Association and the Atlanta Legal Aid Society and has served more than 12,000 clients over its 44-year history through a network of more than 500 currently active volunteer lawyers licensed in Georgia and a cumulative base of over 1,000 volunteer attorneys over time.

The service portfolio comprises six core programs delivered through the volunteer network: the Probate Information Center (45-minute estate consultations with the DeKalb County Probate Court and Atlanta Bar Association Estate Planning Section), a Debt Clinic (30-minute consultations on debt collection and wage garnishment), a Family Law Clinic (uncontested divorces, legitimations, child support modifications), the Temporary Protective Order Project (representation of domestic violence survivors in evidentiary hearings in partnership with the Magistrate Court, Women's Resource Center to End Domestic Violence, and Tapestri), the Guardian Ad Litem Project (representation of children in contested custody disputes by court referral), and the Attorney Referral Project covering bankruptcy, landlord/tenant disputes, wills, and Social Security matters. Technology infrastructure consists of standard legal case management and volunteer coordination systems with no proprietary platforms; client eligibility screening is conducted through an online application on the organization's website.

Revenue is generated primarily through DeKalb County court filing fees, supplemented by individual donations, corporate sponsorships tied to fundraising events (Pro Bono Ballin' bowling fundraiser, pickleball tournament, Leading the Charge Awards Luncheon, volunteer thank you mixers), and state/federal grant funding the organization is actively pursuing to expand services. The organization is governed by a 15-member Board of Directors and 9-member Advisory Board, with day-to-day operations led by Executive Director Annie Jordan, who joined in 2019 after practicing family law at Knight Family Law and Senterfitt & Knight. The organization rebranded from DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation to DeKalb Pro Bono in June 2022 to modernize its positioning while retaining all existing service obligations.

Name

dekalb volunteer lawyers foundation

Legal name

DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation

Website

https://dekalbprobono.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Short description

DeKalb Pro Bono (formerly DeKalb Volunteer Lawyers Foundation) is a Georgia 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1982 that provides free civil legal services to low-income DeKalb County residents across family law, landlord/tenant, probate, debt, and protective order matters through a network of over 500 volunteer lawyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pro Bono Legal Aid Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Offices of Lawyers (541110)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Legal Aid & Client Advocacy Services (BPAGAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Defense & Legal Aid Services (BPAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Pro bono legal services
• Civil legal aid
• Volunteer attorney programs
• Free legal clinics
• Nonprofit legal assistance

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Court Filing Fee Funding: The organization is funded primarily from DeKalb County court filing fees. This provides a steady revenue stream tied to legal activity in the county.
2. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations from individuals and organizations to support operations.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for events like the Leading the Charge Awards Luncheon, bowling fundraisers, and pickleball tournaments provide revenue.
4. Grant Funding: The organization is seeking additional funding through state and federal grant sources to expand services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

DeKalb Pro Bono provides free civil legal services to low-income DeKalb County, Georgia residents through a network of more than 500 volunteer attorneys. Services are delivered via dedicated legal clinics (Probate Information Center, Debt Clinic, Family Law Clinic) and individual case representation programs (Temporary Protective Order Project, Guardian Ad Litem Project, Attorney Referral Project) covering family law, landlord/tenant, probate, consumer debt, bankruptcy, and protective order matters.

Product overview

DeKalb Pro Bono is a nonprofit legal aid organization that provides free civil legal services to low-income individuals in DeKalb County, Georgia. The organization operates a portfolio of legal clinics and programs including the Probate Information Center (providing estate consultations), Debt Clinic, Family Law Clinic, Temporary Protective Order Project (representing domestic violence survivors), Guardian Ad Litem Project, and Attorney Referral Project. These services are delivered through a network of over 500 volunteer lawyers who provide both one-time clinic consultations and ongoing case representation in areas including family law, landlord/tenant issues, consumer debt, bankruptcy, probate, and protective orders.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Assisted over 12,000 clients with civil legal matters since 1982
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Decatur-DeKalb Bar AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 1982Co-founding organization that partnered with Atlanta Legal Aid Society to create DeKalb Pro Bono. Maintains close relationship with the organization.
• Atlanta Legal Aid SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 1982Co-founding organization that partnered with Decatur-DeKalb Bar Association to create DeKalb Pro Bono. Maintains close relationship with the organization.
• DeKalb County Probate CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the Probate Information Center, which provides 45-minute consultations for uncontested estates of deceased DeKalb County residents. Lawyers from the Atlanta Bar Association's Estate Planning Section participate.
• Atlanta Bar Association Estate Planning SectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVolunteer attorneys from the Estate Planning Section provide consultations at the Probate Information Center for uncontested estates.
• DeKalb County Magistrate CourtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Temporary Protective Order Project for domestic violence survivors.
• Women's Resource Center to End Domestic ViolencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Temporary Protective Order Project, providing support and referrals for domestic violence survivors.
• TapestricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Temporary Protective Order Project, providing referrals of immigrant and refugee survivors of domestic violence. Also refers clients for the Attorney Referral Project.
• Atlanta Legal Aid SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for clients needing free legal services. Multiple office locations listed including DeKalb/Decatur office (404-377-0701).
• Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers FoundationminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for Fulton County residents needing free legal services.
• Georgia Legal Services ProgramminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partner for residents outside metro-Atlanta area.
• DeKalb Lawyers AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecipient of $30K donation from DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Clarence F. Seeliger. Provides scholarships to African-American students attending law school.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation: Direct sibling organization that provides free civil legal services in Fulton County through a volunteer attorney network, mirroring the DeKalb Pro Bono model in the adjacent metro Atlanta county. Listed by DeKalb Pro Bono as a referral partner for Fulton County residents.
• Atlanta Legal Aid Society: Co-founder of DeKalb Pro Bono and one of Georgia's largest civil legal aid providers, serving low-income residents across metro Atlanta with both staff attorneys and clinics across multiple practice areas. Closest comparable by mission, geography, and client population.
• Georgia Legal Services Program: Statewide federally-funded legal aid program serving Georgians outside metro Atlanta with civil legal matters. Functions as a referral partner for DeKalb Pro Bono on outlying cases, and operates a comparable clinic-and-referral model across a much broader geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles: One of the largest nonprofit civil legal aid organizations in the U.S., providing free legal services across Los Angeles County. Comparable mission and clinic-based service delivery model, but operates at a substantially larger scale and budget than DeKalb Pro Bono.
• Bay Area Legal Aid: Regional civil legal aid provider serving the San Francisco Bay Area with similar clinic, pro bono, and full-representation models for low-income clients. Comparable in mission and clinic infrastructure, though serving a larger and more populous region.
• Legal Aid Society of New York: Historic civil legal aid organization serving New York City across housing, family, immigration, and consumer law through staff attorneys and volunteer panels. Comparable by practice breadth and pro bono orientation, though operating at far greater scale.
• Lone Star Legal Aid: Major nonprofit civil legal aid organization serving low-income residents across Texas. Comparable in clinic and full-representation service model, serving a much larger and geographically dispersed client population with similar practice areas.

Emerging players

• Pro Bono Net: National nonprofit that builds technology and resource platforms to support volunteer lawyer programs and legal aid organizations. Adjacent to DeKalb Pro Bono's model as an enabling technology and capacity-building partner, though does not directly deliver legal services.

Others

• LawHelp.org: National online directory and resource hub connecting low-income Americans with free legal aid programs, including DeKalb Pro Bono's referral ecosystem. Comparable as a complementary client-acquisition channel rather than a direct service competitor.
• Decatur-DeKalb Bar Association: Local voluntary bar association that co-founded DeKalb Pro Bono in 1982 alongside Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Comparable as a member organization of DeKalb County lawyers and a structural partner in the volunteer recruitment pipeline.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DeKalbProBono
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dekalb-volunteer-lawyers-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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