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CORP (Bar Association of San Francisco): free legal help for Northern California nonprofits

Phone number
Category
Nonprofit
Legal
Auto tags
Eligibility
501(c)(3) nonprofits located in Northern California that provide direct services to low-income or underrepresented people and can't afford legal services
Auto Summary
CORP, the Community Organization Representation Project of the Justice & Diversity Center (Bar Association of San Francisco), matches eligible Northern California 501(c)(3) nonprofits with volunteer attorneys for free transactional legal help, such as corporate governance and bylaws. You apply online; a match isn't guaranteed.
Value
Free pro bono attorney help for nonprofits (by application)
Espanol
CORP (Colegio de Abogados de San Francisco): ayuda legal gratis para organizaciones sin fines de lucro del norte de California CORP, un programa del Justice & Diversity Center del Colegio de Abogados de San Francisco, conecta a organizaciones 501(c)(3) del norte de California con abogados voluntarios para ayuda legal gratis, por ejemplo sobre estatutos y gobierno corporativo. Requisitos: estar en el norte de California, dar servicios directos a personas de bajos ingresos o subrepresentadas, y no poder pagar un abogado. Se solicita en línea en sfbar.org; no se garantiza un abogado.
URL
sfbar.org/jdc/jdc...profits/
Free lawyers for small nonprofits, anywhere in Northern California, not just the Bay Area. (Verified 2026-09-29 on sfbar.org.)

Who qualifies (all four)

  • A 501(c)(3) nonprofit
  • Located in Northern California
  • Provides direct services to low-income or underrepresented people
  • Can't afford legal services

What you get

CORP reviews your application, and if your matter fits, looks for a volunteer attorney with the right expertise. Help is transactional (non-litigation), such as corporate governance and structuring (bylaws, policies, board documents). It's free, though CORP's FAQ says there "may be some nominal costs". A match isn't guaranteed.

How to apply

  1. Read the Existing Nonprofits page.
  1. Complete CORP's online Nonprofit Application for Pro Bono Services. It asks for your budget, board list and IRS letter, so have them ready as PDFs.
  1. Questions: corp@sfbar.org
The application's county list shows Bay Area counties plus "Other". Northern California groups outside the Bay Area choose "Other" and name their county.
[Source: sfbar.org CORP Existing Nonprofits page: "Organization must be located in northern California" and "must provide direct services to low-income or underrepresented individuals" (fetched 2026-09-29); CORP home and FAQ pages (fetched 2026-09-28)]