The legal profession is a professional industry that focuses on helping people with their legal problems and concerns. It serves to advise people on a personal and professional level with things that are of the utmost importance in their lives. This is why it is so important that lawyers maintain an integrity and professional appearance online.
People in the legal industry have just recently started using online tools to promote their business. For a long time, attorneys and even the American Law Institute were hesitant to put their information online. Perhaps they were afraid it somehow broke down their level of professionalism or somehow sacrificed patient confidentiality. But, as long as law firms do not disclose personal information, they are allowed by the American Bar Association to advertise online and to have a web presence.
Once the ABA offered advice on their site on how to proceed with an online website to protect their profession, the legal industry has been very active in advertising legal services online. It is a great way for clients to contact attorneys to inquire about their situation and set up a legal session. New legal information can also be explained on their websites.
What Should Your Logo Look Like?
When considering a logo for your legal firm, you want to capture the professionalism that is inherent in the legal profession while attracting potential new clients. Your logo should symbolize some primary aspects of your legal business while still maintaining the professionalism that is expected among legal entities.
So where should you start when planning your logo?
Components of a Law Firm Logo
The legal profession needs to maintain a level of professionalism that is a bit above the crowd. Like the medical industry, Law is a respected industry that needs to maintain a degree of integrity and formality to communicate trustworthiness.
Here are three components of a legal firm logo that you may want to keep in mind when brainstorming your logo:
- Specialization– Focus on the type of law you specialize in and focus on that area in your logo. You want to be able to successfully communicate the type of law you focus on to clients when they see your logo for the first time.
- Differentiation– It’s also helpful to study what your competition is doing and compare how your logo looks with others in your industry. You don’t need to copy anything they are doing. But it does help to give you some insight by viewing other logos in the legal field to compare with what you plan to do.
- Creativity-Don’t use a “cookie-cutter” formula for anything. That is never a good idea for any type of business, including the legal profession. No matter how much success others have had, copying or trying to emulate what others have done and expecting the same results is just not realistic. Everyone is different and the results you get will be determined by a number of factors. So be creative with your choice of graphics for your logo and make sure it makes you unique in some way.
Graphic Design for Lawyers
One of the challenges in deciding on a logo for a law firm is the graphic art that you will include. Some decide to use a symbol that is synonymous with law and justice such as a justice scale or a justice building. You can take a look at our legal logo portfolio to see some examples of legal symbols that may inspire you.
The Use of Fonts
Another important component to keep in mind is the use of fonts. You need to decide whether you will use fonts within your logo or not. You should only use them if it helps get across your brand in ways that a graphic alone cannot do. In terms of the choice of fonts, you could choose to use the first letter of your legal firm’s name or some other reference to your business. Just make sure it is not confusing to your clients and leads and that you communicate clearly what the letter stands for.
Factors Affecting Your Logo Choice
Amicus Creative Media advises you to keep these three components in mind when choosing a logo for your legal firm.
- Philosophy/ideology– Your philosophy or ideology is at the heart of your legal profession. How you treat your clients and why determines your success to a great degree. There is always a philosophy or a core idea that you base your decisions on. If you can capture this through your logo, this will be to your advantage.
- Attitude– The attitude you take into your legal practice is also key to your success. Think about how you will reflect this within your logo. Is there a symbol that you can use that will communicate to clients and potential clients that you care about them personally? Think about how you could combine a universal legal symbol with other graphics or fonts to let people know the approach you take.
- Expertise– While you want to be creative in your logo, you also must always communicate expertise. This can come in the form of the specific type of law your practice, such as corporate law or family law. It may come in the form of a gavel with the initials of your firm partners at the bottom. The field is wide open and you can do it however you choose. But think about how you are going to communicate expertise within your logo design.
It’s Not Just a Logo
One key element to always remember as you design your legal logo is that it’s not just a logo. It’s about branding. Think of your logo as just a simple part of your entire branding plan. Your logo may be seen by people on mobile devices as well as on your main site. You may put it on your legal communications stationery, physical products, and even your business card. A lot of thought should be put into it before deciding which logo you will use.
How We Can Help
At LogoDesignTeam.com, we have a deep understanding of the fact that legal firms are specialty businesses. We know how you need to stay professional while including creative elements within your logo. We take our time to make sure we create a logo that will adequately portray your professionalism, ideologies, and expertise without looking cheap or frivolous.
Take a look at our online portfolio to get a feel for what we do and contact us. We can work with you to create the perfect logo that you’ll be proud of that will communicate your professionalism, strength, and ideals to potential clients.
You provide the vision, we provide the solution. We are LogoDesignTeam. Contact us here!
