The Legal Action Center is a nonprofit law and policy organization whose stated mission is to combat discrimination against individuals with a history of addiction, HIV/AIDS, or criminal records. The Legal Action Center helps individuals reclaim their lives, and it also advocates for reasonable public policies on issues related to addiction, AIDS, and/or criminal histories.

In 1973, the Vera Institute of Justice in New York City established the Legal Action Center to fight issues arising from the overlap of addiction and crime, particularly by assisting those most directly impacted. During the middle of the 1980s, AIDS was added to the mission of the Legal Action Center as it became evident that persons with alcohol and other drug problems and/or those with criminal records were at an ...