A Pro Bono Powerhouse for Southern California and Beyond

Founded by attorney Frederick Nicholas in Los Angeles in 1970, Public Counsel has grown to become the nation’s largest public […more…]

Public Counsel

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www.publiccounsel.org
(213) 385-2977, ext. 120 | Fax: (213) 637-3893
Vice President and Chief Development Officer Tracy K. Rice, Esq

Mission

Public Counsel is the nation’s largest not-for-profit law firm specializing in delivering pro bono legal services.

Founded in 1970, Public Counsel strives to achieve three main goals: protecting the legal rights of disadvantaged children; representing immigrants who have been the victims of torture, persecution, domestic violence, trafficking, and other crimes; and fostering economic justice by providing individuals and institutions in underserved communities with access to quality legal representation.

Begin to Build a Relationship

We know you care about where your money goes and how it is used. Connect with this organization’s leadership in order to begin to build this important relationship. Your email will be sent directly to this organization’s Director of Development and/or Executive Director.

There were days where I was watching the darkness, and I thought, I’m probably not going to make it – I’ll have to go back to El Salvador and see my poor life again. But every time that I went to Public Counsel, positive people told me I was going to make it and that I would be the person I was dreaming about. When I finally received asylum, I was so happy that I wanted to scream, cry, and jump on my bed. Everything worked out just like they said. That’s the real happiness that I will never forget.
Public Counsel client
Ronaldo (left)
with attorney HyunJoo Lee

Outsized Impact

In 2020, Public Counsel provided legal services to 19,000 people and 150 nonprofit organizations nationwide. Its impact goes far beyond providing direct representation to low-income individuals, families, and small businesses, and includes helping to reform public policy in Los Angeles, California, and nationwide.

To do this, Public Counsel depends on not only its highly qualified staff and  thousands of lawyers and students who volunteer their time and expertise, but also the generosity of private donors. Of the 3,600 people to whom it provided full representation last year, 2,900 or 82% won their cases, resulting in $4 million in revenue and savings for its clients. Public Counsel’s civil rights lawsuits also obtained positive outcomes for millions of people. 

To learn more about Public Counsel and to donate, please visit www.publiccounsel.org.

Key Supporters

Ahmanson Foundation
Bank of America
California Community Foundation
California Endowment
Capital Group
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
Eisner Foundation
NBCUniversal
In-N-Out Burger
Southern California Edison
TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund
Walt Disney Company
Jonathan H. Anschell, Mattel, Inc.
Karen N. Frederiksen,
The Walt Disney Company
Daniel Grunfeld,
past President & CEO of Public Counsel
Tanya Acker, Co-host Hot Bench
(CBS Television Distribution)
David G. Johnson, ACT 4 Entertainment
Roman M. Silberfeld, Robins Kaplan LLP
Morgan Chu, Irell & Manella LLP
Stacy D. Phillips, Blank Rome LLP