Harvard Law School:
Where Words Change the World
Harvard Law School's history of innovation in legal education and its alumni network have made it one of the most prestigious law schools in the world.
Responding to a call-to-action by students, the school retired their 200 y.o. shield with armorial bearings of Isaac Royall Jr.—whose family bequest founded the school from wealth benefited from the enslaved.
With our strategic design approach, we created space for introspection, and developed a process that affirmed transformative healing and ideological change— securing the schools forward-thinking commitments to truth, law, and justice.
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To ensure our work was successful, we consulted with the HLS working group led by Prof. Annette Gordon-Reed to establish the school’s new shield. Through lengthy strategy sessions, we coalesced students (current and alumni), educators, legal scholars, staff, and the Harvard Corporation, to guide our approach.
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It became evident that Harvard Law School's influence is global. Their graduates not only influence laws in the U.S. but also impact laws in countries around the world. Words are deeply significant, and no idea goes without thoughtful introspection. Humanity is at the center of it all. Based on these discoveries (and more) we created rounds of ideation to embody these values drivers.
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Combining the words “lex et iustitia,” with the motto “veritas,” it is made explicit that HLS stands for truth, law + justice. The lines also connote global reach, and the intersectionality of emerging ideas. Our direction was approached swiftly by the Harvard Corporation and the student group that initiated this important change.
SCOPE
Brand Identity, Strategy, Creative Direction, Messaging
CREDITS
HLS Working Group, Popkitchen Co., Studio Rainwater
