Nonprofit · EIN 81-1013976
CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS
Tax-exempt · NORTH CHARLESTON, SC 29405
Financials
| Year ended | Form | Revenue | Expenses | Net income | Total assets | Liabilities | Net assets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 31, 2025 | 990 | $967,395 | $804,249 | $163,146 | $974,285 | $13,374 | $960,911 |
| December 31, 2024 | 990 | $809,381 | $708,360 | $101,021 | $827,430 | $29,665 | $797,765 |
| December 31, 2023 | 990 | $839,308 | $679,240 | $160,068 | $710,125 | $9,579 | $700,546 |
Financial details: 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025
Revenue
- Contributions, gifts and grants
- $770,202
- of which government grants
- $5,000
- Program service revenue
- $174,385
- Investment income
- $18,608
- Net income from fundraising events
- $4,200
- Other revenue
- $4,200
Expenses
- Grants and similar amounts paid
- $0
- Compensation of officers, directors and key employees
- $90,883
- Other salaries and wages
- $451,628
- Salaries, compensation and benefits (total)
- $604,045
- Professional fundraising fees
- $0
- Accounting fees
- $16,948
- Occupancy
- $48,424
- Travel
- $4,352
- Depreciation
- $71
- Program services (functional)
- $661,202
- Management and general (functional)
- $59,937
- Fundraising (functional)
- $83,110
Balance sheet and other
- Total assets, start of year
- $827,430
- Total assets, end of year
- $974,285
- Total liabilities, end of year
- $13,374
- Net assets, end of year
- $960,911
- Net assets without donor restrictions
- $835,911
- Net assets with donor restrictions
- $125,000
- Gross receipts
- $1,010,062
- Employees
- 12
- Volunteers
- 15
- Year formed
- 2015
- State of legal domicile
- SC
From the e-filed returns the IRS publishes as XML (latest three processing years; amended returns replace the original). PDF copies at the IRS.
Officers, directors and key employees
As listed on the 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025, highest compensation first.
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lana Lilinshtein Kleiman | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $77,683 | $6,588 |
| Temitope Leyimu | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Julie L Moore | Past Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Jane Diange | Vice - Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Emma Cregg | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| John B Linton Jr | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Tola A Familoni | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Melissa Spence | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Sue Chang | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Tyler Roberts | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Rachel Wehrman CPA | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Natalie Caula Hauff | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Phillip Wilson | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2024: 14 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation | Other / benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lana Lilinshtein Kleiman | Executive Director Officer | 40 | $75,070 | $6,783 |
| Julie L Moore | Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Temitope Leyimu | Vice-Chair Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Lucy Brenner | Treasurer Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Annie Andrews | Secretary Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 | $0 |
| Ali Titus | Past Chair Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Tola A Familoni | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Melissa Spence | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| John B Linton Jr | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Sue Chang | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Emma Cregg | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Jane Diange | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Kim Clifton | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
| Tyler Roberts | Director Trustee or director | 1 | $0 | $0 |
990 for the year ended December 31, 2023: 15 people
| Name | Title | Hours / week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| LANA LILINSHTEIN KLEIMAN | EXECUTIVE DI Officer | 40 | $53,925 |
| ALI TITUS | CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 |
| JULIE L MOORE | VICE CHAIR Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 |
| LUCY BRENNER | TREASURER Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 |
| ANNIE ANDREWS | SECRETARY Trustee or director, Officer | 3 | $0 |
| TEMITOPE LEYIMU | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| TOLA A FAMILONI | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| FERNANDO SOTO GAULDEN - TERM ENDED | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MELISSA SPENCE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| JOHN B LINTON JR | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| SUE CHANG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| EMMA CREGG | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| JANE DIANGE | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| ERIC ELLIOTT | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
| MEGAN DENTON | DIRECTOR Trustee or director | 1 | $0 |
Address and contacts
- Address (IRS master file)
- 1816 SUCCESS STREET BLDG A 102, NORTH CHARLESTON, SC 29405-7851
- In care of
- % SALLY NEWMAN
- Principal officer (990 for 2025)
- Shirene Hansotia, 1816 Success Street Bldg A 102, North Charleston, SC 29405
- Signed the 990
- Shirene Hansotia, Executive Director
- Phone
- (843) 640-5980
- Return prepared by
- Glaser and Company LLC
Mission
To expand access to legal representation and rights in South Carolina.
Program accomplishments
- Charleston Legal Access was created to fill a void in the legal the state. Our goal is simple: to provide low-cost legal representation and assistance to the working poor and others of modest means who do not qualify for free legal services but who cannot afford a private attorney. Specifically, we serve those between 125% (the cut-off for free legal services absent a waiver) and 400% of the federal poverty line. We also provide services to those below 125% of the federal poverty line if there is some reason that they cannot obtain free legal services elsewhere, can pay our minimum retainer (or consultation fee), and otherwise meet our case selection criteria rate determined by the individual's income and family size. (Continued on Schedule O)This hybrid funding model where low-rate fees are supplemented by philanthropic support: allows donor dollars to go farther and enables our attorneys to access more clients and increase our impact in South Carolina; ensures that clients are invested and engaged in their cases, and that we are pursuing only claims that both we and our clients think are worth the resources; and gives clients a sense of agency in their cases that we encourage and support. They are paying for our services, have control over their case, and are entitled to high quality representation. CLA took its first client in February 2016 and since then, we have been steadily growing to meet the demand for our services. We have increased our staff to eight, including four full-time attorneys, an Equal Justice Works Attorney Fellow. In addition, we have expanded our practice areas to include a wide range of civil matters including, housing, landlord tenant, property, elder law, guardianships, victims' rights and family law. 2025, Charleston Legal Access reached a major milestone by expanding its practice to include immigration law. Today, CLA is the only nonprofit law firm in South Carolina providing statewide, comprehensive immigration services, including removal defense and detention representation. Every year we set a goal to increase the number of families served and our impact. In 2025, CLA assisted 206 households through direct legal representation, consultations, and advice and counsel, bringing our total to 1,771 families served since our founding. - 62 survivors of domestic violence received critical legal guidance and representation to seek safety and protection. - 21 kinship caregivers, in partnership with HALOS, received counsel or gained custody of children in their care offering stability and security to the next generation.- Over 300 immigration related calls since launching CLA's immigration practice in June 2025.- 647 cases handled and 1,602 tenants directly affected with a 94% eviction prevention success rate. 266 cases closed in Dorchester County since expansion of housing court in March 2025.Expenses $661,202 · revenue $174,385
What it must file and when
IRS records say it files Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N. Its accounting year ends in December, so each return is due on the 15th day of the 5th month after that.
| Tax year | Year ended | Due | IRS public records |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | December 31, 2025 | May 15, 2026 | 990 on file |
| 2024 | December 31, 2024 | May 15, 2025 | 990 on file |
| 2023 | December 31, 2023 | May 15, 2024 | 990 on file |
IRS record
- EIN
- 81-1013976
- Tax-exempt status
- 501(c)(3): Charitable, religious, educational or scientific organization
- Foundation status
- Publicly supported organization (170(b)(1)(A)(vi))
- Donations deductible (Pub 78)
- Public charity, 50% deduction limit
- Exempt since
- 2016
- Accounting year ends
- December
- Files
- Form 990 or 990-EZ
- Category (NTEE)
- Crime and legal-related (I80)
- Assets (IRS master file)
- $974,285
- Income (IRS master file)
- $1,010,062
Filing history
| Form | Year ended | Revenue | Expenses | Assets | Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 990 | December 2025 | $967,395 | $804,249 | $974,285 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2024 | $809,381 | $708,360 | $827,430 | XML |
| 990 | December 2023 | $839,308 | $679,240 | $710,125 | XML |
| 990 | December 2022 | $612,881 | $449,648 | $560,025 | IRS |
| 990 | December 2021 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990 | December 2020 | – | – | – | IRS |
| 990-EZ | December 2018 | – | – | – | IRS |
990-N: the IRS bulk file holds only the latest e-Postcard per organization; earlier years come from archived copies of that file since 2020 and can have gaps (the IRS e-Postcard search lists every one). 990, 990-EZ, 990-PF, 990-T: every e-filed return in the IRS e-file index since 2019; XML for the latest three processing years, amounts from the IRS Statistics of Income extracts before that. PDF copies and determination letters at the IRS (search EIN 81-1013976).
Questions about CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS
- What is the EIN of CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS?
- The employer identification number (EIN) of CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS is 81-1013976.
- Is CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS tax-exempt?
- Yes. The IRS lists it as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) since 2016.
- Are donations to CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS tax-deductible?
- Yes. It is listed in IRS Publication 78 (Public charity, 50% deduction limit).
- Which annual return does CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS file?
- Form 990 or 990-EZ. Based on its last return; a smaller organization may file the 990-N.
- When is the next return of CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS due?
- The return for tax year 2026 (the year ending December 31, 2026) is due May 17, 2027. Form 8868 extends it by six months; the 990-N cannot be extended.
- When did CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS last file with the IRS?
- The latest return in the IRS public files is the 990 for the year ended December 2025.
- Who is the principal officer of CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 names Shirene Hansotia.
- Who are the officers and directors of CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS?
- The 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 lists 13 people; 1 received compensation from the organization, the highest $77,683 (Lana Lilinshtein Kleiman, Executive Director).
- How much revenue does CHARLESTON LEGAL ACCESS have?
- On its 990 for the year ended December 31, 2025 it reported revenue of $967,395, expenses of $804,249 and total assets of $974,285 at year end.
Other nonprofits in NORTH CHARLESTON
- TURN90 EIN 46-0671501 · last filed 990 for 2025
- WATER MISSIONS INTERNATIONAL EIN 57-1116978 · last filed 990 for 2025
- TRIDENT AREA AGENCY ON AGING INC EIN 57-0945716 · last filed 990 for 2025
- GLOBAL WATER CENTER EIN 84-5144926 · last filed 990 for 2025
- INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS EIN 57-0187390 · last filed 990 for 2025
- LOWCOUNTRY PREGNANCY CENTER EIN 57-0838453 · last filed 990 for 2025
- OPERATION HOME INC EIN 62-1745925 · last filed 990 for 2024
- WE ARE FAMILY EIN 57-1008020 · last filed 990 for 2025
All nonprofits in NORTH CHARLESTON · South Carolina · Crime and legal-related