Legal Rights Center

A Law Firm of and for the People

The Legal Rights Center (LRC) was founded in 1970 through coordinated efforts of Black and Indigenous community leaders partnered with friends and activists in the legal community. LRC’s mission is to work with our communities to seek justice and promote racial equity for those to whom it has been historically denied. We do this through criminal defense, restorative justice, advocacy, and community education. 

LRC envisions a world where: every person has access to justice that is equitable and community-driven; we value and support community-led problem solving; and all youth, particularly Black, Indigenous and youth of Color, are valued as integral members of their communities, including their schools, and are not pushed into the school-to-prison pipeline. 

Our work is implemented through three programs: (1) Community Defense Program, providing free criminal defense and criminal records expungement representation services for those who cannot afford to pay for an attorney; (2) Youth: Education, Advocacy & Restorative Services (Y:EARS), our youth-focused program providing school-based restorative services; and (3) Community Strategy Team, which carries out the organization’s work related to community legal education and advocacy.