2 hours ago
Pro Bono Net, the nonprofit that has been a pioneering force in access-to-justice technology since the dawn of the internet era, yesterday announced that it is rebranding as Scale Justice, reflecting an evolution in its mission that has taken it beyond its origins as an organizer of pro bono legal services.
The new name, said Executive Director Zach Zarnow, signals a renewed focus on expanding justice and opportunity through digital innovation, building on the organization’s quarter-century track record of developing legal technology tools that today serve more than 8 million people a year.
“This is a really exciting time for our organization as we enter our next chapter with a new name and deep commitment to our mission,” said Zarnow, who became executive director last July, succeeding founder Mark O’Brien, who retired in 2024.
“There is a lot of incredible work and success to build upon, and I am very optimistic about where we are headed and how we can continue to be an innovative leader at the intersection of technology and increasing access to justice.”
25 Years of Innovation
The organization traces its roots back to 1998, when it was founded with a grant from the Open Society Institute by O’Brien and Michael Hertz, both leaders at large law firms who recognized the potential of emerging internet technology to coordinate and mobilize pro bono lawyers.
The prototype of the probono.net site launched in March 1999, starting with two practice areas in New York City. Its initial goal was straightforward: use technology and collaboration to strengthen the pro bono ecosystem.
Related: LawNext Podcast: Pro Bono Net Cofounder Mark O’Brien on Technology As A ‘Force Multiplier’ For Meeting Legal Needs.
From there, the organization quickly expanded. In 2000, it launched LawHelp.org/NY, the first site of its kind in the country, providing underserved New Yorkers with free legal rights resources and referrals. That model was eventually adopted across dozens of U.S. states and Canadian provinces, becoming one of the most significant access-to-justice technology initiatives in the country.
In 2005, the organization took on management of LawHelp Interactive, which became the largest nonprofit online legal forms program in the United States, helping more than a million Americans a year engage with the civil legal system without lawyers.
Other milestones followed. In 2007, the organization co-founded the Immigration Advocates Network to strengthen the legal safety net for immigrants, and with support from the Gates Foundation, it launched Pro Bono Manager, described as the country’s first practice management tool designed to help law firms manage and grow their pro bono programs. That product was acquired in 2024 by Paladin.
It also created LiveHelp, one of the first real-time online chat services for legal rights information and referrals in the country, a model that has been replicated in more than a dozen states and now serves some 40,000 people a year.
In 2011, Pro Bono Net, working with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, created Citizenshipworks, a free, multilingual online tool that guides immigrants step-by-step through the naturalization process. Since its launch, it has helped more than 60,000 people begin or complete naturalization applications through partnerships with over 200 nonprofit and local organizations.
Then in 2022, it launched Justicia Lab as an expanded innovation hub focused on building digital tools to help immigrants and their advocates access legal support, find workplace justice, and navigate the immigration system. Justicia Lab was selected to participate in Google.org’s Generative AI Accelerator for social impact organizations.
A Time of Transition
The rebrand comes at a moment of organizational transition. O’Brien, who served as executive director since 2005, stepped down in 2024 after 25 years with the organization. The board appointed Zarnow as his successor effective July 7, 2025.
Zarnow came to the role from the National Center for State Courts, where he was deputy managing director of the access-to-justice team. He has spent more than a dozen years working on access-to-justice issues, and his appointment signaled the organization’s interest in broadening its scope beyond pro bono coordination to a wider vision of technology-driven legal access.
The organization also recently added seven new board members, including Rebecca Sandefur, probably the nation’s leading access-to-justice researcher, and Damien Riehl, a well-known legal technology innovator.
Looking Ahead
The organization’s flagship programs — LawHelp, LawHelp Interactive and Citizenshipworks — will continue under the Scale Justice name, and the organization says it will maintain all current partnerships and services while expanding its impact through new initiatives.
Among those newer initiatives is Reclamo.AI, a multilingual chatbot designed to help low-wage and immigrant workers in New York understand their rights, which the organization cites as an example of its investment in responsible AI and community-centered design.
Collectively, Scale Justice says its programs support more than 8 million people annually, save an estimated $97 million in legal fees, and strengthen the efforts of more than 300 partner organizations nationwide.
“Scale Justice already helps millions of people each year access legal information and assert their rights,” said Betty Balli Torres, executive director of the Texas Access to Justice Foundation adn chair of the Scale Justice board of directors. “Our new name reflects our continued commitment to building the digital solutions people and communities need to achieve justice.”
