The Legal Aid Society of San Bernardino, a pro bono organization, has updated its branding to reflect its commitment to the local area, and to boost volunteerism.
The logo image incorporates the Lady of Justice, the arrowhead from the side of the San Bernardino mountains and the mission bell that represents Riverside.
“We started to rebrand the entire organization, driven by a desire to communicate our mission, our history and the scope of our services,” LASSB Executive Director Pablo Ramirez said by phone April 29.
“The rich symbolism reflects our values, providing legal help to our most vulnerable people, serving the Inland Empire. It’s intended to convey the organization’s depth of dignity.”
He said the colors have meaning.
“The colors show our advocacy for the community members,” he said. “Red evokes excitement, strength and compassion; blue, trust, peace and loyalty.”
Ramirez said the former branding was good, but the time was right to add to what it represented.
“The old logo was very dear to me. It had a shield on it to indicate the protection we bring to the community we serve. But the volunteerism element was missing,” he said.
Supporting the volunteers is how LASSB is able to provide help to the most vulnerable people, he said, so the impetus for the rebrand is streamlining volunteerism.
The April 1 launch of the logo accompanied a new pro bono series, with videos that show what’s involved in volunteering, how to get started and what to expect.
He said the goal is to remove barriers to volunteering, which includes demystifying the process, pairing volunteers with mentors and maximizing volunteers’ time.
“We keep our volunteer attorneys at the top of our mind,” he said. “We want to make sure they have a positive experience volunteering with us.”
“We are doing a push to get more volunteers to bridge the justice gap,” Ramirez said. “We continuously look at the evolving needs of our community – Riverside and San Bernardino counties.”
According to the website, LASSB helps almost 19,000 people a year.
He said they have already seen an increase in volunteers but they still don’t have as many as they need.
LASSB is looking for volunteer attorneys in all areas of law. To volunteer, fill out the online form.
