JSL is a mission-driven law firm dedicated to helping social justice organizations thrive.

At JSL, we believe that bold dreams need a solid foundation and that today’s movement and social justice leaders deserve experienced and creative lawyers who can help build and protect those dreams. JSL is committed to centering our client’s vision and mission while thoughtfully balancing legal, strategic, and reputational risk. We also recognize that assessing risk is fact-specific, and that exposure varies for different leaders and different work.  

As a firm with extensive experience in litigation advocacy and transactional matters, JSL can be both your tactical thought partner and a careful legal advisor. We work collaboratively to find solutions with a focus on moving forward.   

JSL works with a limited number of clients at a time in order to provide the type of attention our clients’ needs deserve. 

MEET THE FOUNDER

JOHANNA STEINBERG

Johanna Steinberg is an experienced general counsel, civil rights lawyer, and former public defender. Before founding Johanna Steinberg Law PLLC in 2021, Johanna created and led the legal department at a national non-profit organization as well as founded and led the general counsel’s office at a community-based legal services non-profit with over 400 employees and a $40M annual budget. Johanna also has more than 15 years of experience as a litigator and civil rights advocate. She was the founder and director of the Impact Litigation Practice at The Bronx Defenders; senior counsel at the NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund; a public defender in New York and Washington, DC; and a teaching fellow at Georgetown University Law Center’s Criminal Justice Clinic. She has conducted training and speaking engagements nationwide on racial bias, jury selection, attorney ethics, and civil rights litigation. Johanna is a member of the NYC Bar Association’s Nonprofit Organizations Committee.

Johanna is a creative problem solver who prioritizes practical solutions to complex issues. Her extensive background as a litigator and trial lawyer with a high-volume caseload, including representing people on death row, enables her to excel in high-stress situations and foster calm. She loves a good puzzle (the legal kind, not the actual puzzle kind), doesn’t take herself too seriously, and teaches her children that sometimes unjust rules are meant to be broken.  

Learn more about Johanna’s litigation experience here.

  • B.A., Brown University (1996)

    J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School (2002)

    LL.M. (trial advocacy), Georgetown University Law Center

  • New York

    Pennsylvania (inactive)

    District of Columbia (inactive)

    U.S. Supreme Court

    U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

    U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

SELECT FORMER + CURRENT CLIENTS

FEES

JSL is dedicated to advancing social change, with a particular focus on racial justice and LGBTQIA+ rights, and is committed to ensuring its services are available to activists and advocates who typically do not have access to experienced, mission-aligned counsel.

Consistent with these values, all of our fees are offered on a sliding scale based on a client’s annual budget and mission. Clients who pay at the higher range enable the firm to charge less to groups that have fewer resources.  

In addition, most fees are offered as a flat rate or a flat subscription fee so there are no surprises and clients do not have to hesitate about calling for advice. We can provide better advice if we are engaged at the outset of a project and not simply someone you call when there is a problem. Certain matters, such as internal investigations, are billed at an hourly rate.  

Rates are calculated based on a sliding scale of $250–$425/hour so we can support, and partner with, groups at varying levels of financial capacity and organizational size. For serving as an outside or interim general counsel, monthly subscriptions can range anywhere from 10–80 hours per month depending on a client’s size and legal needs. 

If you are interested in working together but are worried you cannot afford the firm’s rates, please reach out anyways. Depending on capacity, we take on a limited number of clients pro bono or at significantly-reduced rates.