Founded in 1984, The Urban Justice Center is a collective of non-profit lawyers who set up shop in a burned-out building in East Harlem. With no funding, they arrived at soup kitchens, jails and shelters—places other lawyers would not go—setting up free legal clinics to help the disadvantaged. Their brand had always been an afterthought until the US political landscape shifted in 2016. Trump’s immigration policies pushed them to create a more accessible, engaging, and inspiring brand to drive recognition and fundraising.

The Urban Justice Center Protects the under represented by rallying society’s fiercest advocates to lead social change and champion a fair, just, and humane society.

UJC wanted to develop a brand positioning and visual identity to better tell their story. In addition to reinforcing UJC’s role as a social justice incubator, they needed the brand to be more accessible, engaging, and inspiring – UJC needs to be known as the guiding force for social justice.

Justice Rising.

Because no one deserves to lose a winning case. Driven by the grassroots methodology of the Urban Justice Center, we developed an identity inspired by the simple boldness and in-your-face attitude of protest placards, and the philosophy of justice for all.

The brand positions the Urban Justice Center as champions of change.

Justice is as simple as black and white. Driven by the gritty, grassroots methodology of the Urban Justice Center, the identity is inspired by in-your-face protest posters. Bold typography and illustration create a voice for the underrepresented - free typefaces and graphics developed with clear instructions, the brand is easy to use and accessible by anyone within the organization. Together the bold and impactful typography and illustration elements position The Urban Justice Center as the guiding force for social justice.

From 2018 alone, UJC services have impacted 15,689 people, closed 10,516 cases and saved 10 million+ in taxpayer money through their work.