Currently booking for q1 2025 ✨

MENU

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid Branding

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid logo featuring a stylized bridge with scales of justice incorporated into its supports, set against a faded cityscape background. The organization's name appears below in blue text.

Discover how we transformed Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s visual identity, bridging the gap between their impactful legal work and their brand image.

When Jacksonville Area Legal Aid approached us for a legal aid brand redesign, we knew we had an opportunity to make a real difference. This project wasn’t just about creating a new logo or choosing colors; it was about crafting a visual identity that truly reflected the vital work JALA does in the community. From their annual reports to a comprehensive rebrand, we partnered with JALA to transform their image and expand their impact. Here’s how we bridged the gap between their mission and their visual representation.

Jacksonville Area Legal Aid logo featuring a stylized bridge with scales of justice incorporated into its supports, set against a faded cityscape background. The organization's name appears below in blue text.

Since 1937, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA) has been a beacon of hope for Florida’s First Coast. This nonprofit law firm provides essential legal services to those who need it most: low-income and at-risk individuals facing eviction, domestic violence, disability discrimination, and other critical legal challenges. While JALA’s impact on the community has grown and evolved over the decades, their visual identity hadn’t kept pace. It was time for a nonprofit rebrand that truly reflected their mission and the quality of their work.

Close-up of a glass door or window with the Jacksonville Area Legal Aid logo and name in white. The logo depicts a stylized bridge with scales of justice. A blurred urban scene is visible in the reflection.
The challenge

When we first connected with JALA in 2021, their branding consisted of an outdated logo and little else. As we designed their 2020 and 2021 annual reports, it became evident that this lack of cohesive identity was a significant hurdle. Each year, we found ourselves creating vibrant, standalone designs without the foundation of a robust brand system to build upon. It was clear: JALA needed a comprehensive legal aid brand redesign to:

  • Elevate their professional image
  • Clearly communicate their civil legal aid services
  • Resonate with their diverse audiences: potential clients, pro bono attorneys, and donors
Color palette for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid branding, featuring ten rounded rectangle swatches in various shades of blue, green, purple, orange, and yellow.
The process

Collaborative strategies for a nonprofit law firm rebrand

To kick off the legal aid brand redesign, we gathered key stakeholders for a strategy workshop. JALA’s executive team, their marketing partner Nancy Kinnally of Relatable Communications Group, and I put our heads together to:

  • Identify the shortcomings of the current branding
  • Explore how JALA’s goals and mission had evolved
  • Discuss the importance of showcasing JALA’s community impact
  • Explore visual directions that felt authentic to the organization

Through thoughtful discussion, we distilled JALA’s essence into three core values: Justice, Compassion, and Partnership. We also developed a list of brand adjectives to guide our design process: Reliable, Respectful, Knowledgeable, Empathetic, Optimistic, Experienced, Collaborative, Ethical, and Professional.

Laptop screen displaying a mockup of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid's website homepage. The page features the organization's logo, navigation menu, and a welcome message with a brief description of their services. Colorful images of people are visible on the right side.
Social media post for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid promoting tenant rights, featuring colorful grid layout and organizational branding
Spread from annual report showing colorful infographic tiles with statistics and achievements of legal aid organization
A social media promotional graphic for Nassau County Family Law Clinic, using the bridge logo and teal color scheme with an image of family figurines.
The solution

With these insights in hand, we crafted a brand identity that truly captures JALA’s spirit:

  • Logo Set: We reimagined Jacksonville’s iconic bridges, incorporating scales of justice into the supports. This visual metaphor represents JALA’s role as a cornerstone of justice in the community.
  • Typography: We paired a professional serif with an approachable sans-serif, striking a balance between authority and accessibility.
  • Color Palette: We developed a vibrant, versatile color system anchored by a core blue and green palette for the main logo.
  • Brand Assets: To ensure consistency across all touchpoints, we created a suite of social media templates and comprehensive brand guidelines.

An important aspect of this legal aid brand redesign was addressing JALA’s multi-office structure. While the main office is in Jacksonville, JALA also operates Clay County Legal Aid and St. Johns County Legal Aid. To maintain a cohesive visual identity across all locations while still allowing each office to have its own designation, we created logo variations for the Clay County and St. Johns offices. These variations use slightly different color palettes and replace “Jacksonville Area” with the appropriate county name. The result is a family of logos that clearly communicate each office’s individual identity while reinforcing their connection to the larger JALA organization.

Three copies of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid's 2022 annual report titled 'Housing Takes Center Stage' arranged on a blue background. The report covers feature a grid of colorful images related to housing and legal services.
Exterior signage mockup for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid office, featuring new logo and branding in blue and white
A light yellow coffee mug with the Clay County Legal Aid logo and text printed in blue and green, sitting on a white table.
A letterhead design for Jacksonville Area Legal Aid featuring the logo and contact information on white paper against a blue-gray background.
The result

A professional image that speaks to all audiences

JALA’s new brand identity is more than just a fresh coat of paint. It’s a powerful tool that:

  • Elevates their professional image to match the caliber of their legal work
  • Clearly communicates their role as a civil legal aid firm
  • Resonates with clients, attorneys, and donors alike
  • Provides flexibility for various applications while maintaining a cohesive look

We had the privilege of debuting this new identity in JALA’s 2022 annual report, showcasing how the refreshed brand elements could work together to create impactful communications.

This rebrand was about more than just creating a pretty logo. This legal aid brand redesign was a transformative process, giving JALA the visual tools to effectively communicate their mission and values. It was about giving Jacksonville Area Legal Aid a visual identity that truly reflects their commitment to justice, compassion, and partnership. Now, when someone encounters JALA’s brand—whether it’s on a business card, a social media post, or their annual report—they’ll immediately get a sense of the organization’s professionalism, expertise, and vital role in the Jacksonville community.

By bridging the gap between JALA’s impactful work and their visual representation, we’ve helped set the stage for their continued growth and success in serving those who need it most.

August 21, 2023

completed on  —
let's connect
Want results like these for your purpose-led small business?

Book your free consult

Read the parson lane Blog

Explore our services

«

Previous Project

Next Project

Grab your free workbook

Are you ready to invest in custom branding? Our Finding Brand Clarity Workbook is the perfect jumping-off point for anyone wanting to create a magnetic brand.

Find Brand Clarity

NAVIGATE

inclusive

Brand design

for

creative

changemakers