Peace and Justice Law Center
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
To advance community safety and constitutional rights, including the causes of equal protection under the law and the advancement of First Amendment rights, exclusively for charitable and educational purposes in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
- Income
- $273,975
- Spending
- $353,335
- Spent on programs
- 85%
- Reserves
- 9 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 59%
- Employees
- 0
- Volunteers
- 6
- Highest pay
- $168,961, executive director
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Good: 78 out of 100. Higher than 52% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 9.0 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 0% of what it owns.
Living within its means
0 of 15Spending exceeded income by 29% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 4% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1585% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 10 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Good: 76 out of 100. Higher than 46% of charities in its peer group (crime and legal services, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
18 of 252 of 3 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
0 of 8Reports no written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
6 of 15Its accounts were not audited or reviewed by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $136,687 spent. The organization's largest program service by expense is its Human and Civil Rights Defense Program. Through public-interest litigation, legal advocacy, and related pro bono legal assistance, the program protects civil rights, promotes government accountability, combats discrimination, and advances public safety and community well-being. Most clients are indigent individuals or nonprofit organizations and have no financial interest in the outcome of the litigation. Attorney fees are sought only when authorized by applicable fee-shifting statutes and are payable by opposing parties rather than clients. In 2025, the organization concluded Chicanxs Unidxs v. Spitzer, a public-records action brought on behalf of three nonprofit organizations seeking prosecutorial records necessary to enforce the California Racial Justice Act. The litigation advanced public access to government information and efforts to eliminate racial discrimination in the criminal legal system. Attorney fees were awarded pursuant to the fee-shifting provisions of the California Public Records Act. The organization also continued litigation challenging Orange County's longstanding gang-injunction practices in People v. Townsend Street. The litigation seeks injunctive relief to reduce discriminatory enforcement practices, protect constitutional rights, and limit reliance on punitive strategies that destabilize communities and contribute to youth involvement in the criminal legal system. The organization represented multiple indigent defendants without charge. No attorney fees were sought for this work in 2025. The organization also continued litigating ACLU v. Inglewood Police Department, a public-records action seeking disclosure of police-misconduct records. The litigation promotes government transparency, police accountability, and enforcement of civil rights protections. No attorney fees were awarded in 2025. The organization also engaged in non-litigation work. The organization represented the unincorporated association Los Amigos de Orange County in pre-litigation discussions with a third party threatening a defamation lawsuit. The representation supported community advocacy and the exercise of constitutional rights and was provided without charge. The organization also advised the nonprofit organization Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice regarding legal issues arising from its immigration-court observation program. This work was provided without charge and advanced the protection of civil rights and public participation in the justice system. During 2025, the organization concluded one major litigation matter, continued two additional public-interest lawsuits, represented three nonprofit organizations, multiple indigent defendants, one unincorporated association, and one nonprofit organization in advisory matters, all without charge to the clients. Through these litigation and advisory matters, the organization advanced civil rights, promoted government transparency and accountability, and provided legal services without charge to individuals and nonprofit organizations engaged in public-interest activities.
- $128,143 spent. The organization's second largest program service by expense is its Education and Public-Interest Information Program. Through community education, professional training, coalition facilitation, policy research, and public-interest communications, the program advances public understanding of civil rights, criminal justice, youth justice, community safety, and government transparency. All activities in this program are conducted without charge. During 2025, the organization continued to lead joint meetings of the Decriminalizing Neighborhoods Network and the California Alliance for Youth and Community Justice. These statewide coalitions meet regularly to examine and promote public-health approaches to reducing community violence and state violence, with a particular focus on youth. In 2025, the organization led a two-day webinar for gang intervention workers on how to protect themselves from false accusations of continued gang involvement. Through these coalition and training activities, the organization promoted public education, shared research on community safety, and supported nonpunitive violence-prevention strategies. In 2025, the organization also launched a public educational website that evaluates and tracks developments affecting democratic institutions, civil liberties, government accountability, and the rule of law in the United States. The website provides research, analysis, and educational materials designed to help members of the public better understand emerging threats to constitutional governance and civil rights protections. This work advanced public education and informed civic engagement regarding issues of broad public concern. The organization also worked to educate the public and policymakers about law enforcement gang databases. In 2025, the organization published one policy brief on gang databases for California state legislators, participated in multiple media interviews and news stories on the issue, and published one op-ed. This work advanced public education, government accountability, and efforts to reduce prejudice and discrimination in law enforcement practices.
- $34,170 spent. The organization's third largest program service is a violence-reduction legal-services program for individuals transitioning out of gang involvement or affected by gang-suppression enforcement. The program is funded through California's CalVIP initiative and is designed to evaluate whether addressing civil legal barriers can support successful community reintegration and reduce violence. Through direct legal services and coordination with community-based service providers, the program promotes public safety, reduces community deterioration, and helps participants overcome barriers to economic stability and lawful participation in community life. The program addresses legal issues that can impede successful reintegration, including gang injunctions, diversion-program navigation, driver's license holds, wage garnishments, child-support arrears, and immigration-related matters. During 2025, the organization maintained an active caseload of approximately 9 to 14 participants at any given time, with participants receiving services for approximately one year on average. Services included outreach to individuals exiting gangs, comprehensive legal assessments, direct representation in civil and administrative matters, and referrals to partner organizations for non-legal support services. The program also incorporates structured data collection and independent evaluation to assess outcomes, including reductions in arrests, new criminal charges, and probation violations compared with a control group. Findings from the project are intended to inform the development of evidence-based violence-reduction strategies and expand the availability of effective legal-service interventions for communities affected by gang violence.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending December 31, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated November 6, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending December 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since May 2022.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated November 4, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.