CENTER FOR DISABILITY & ELDER LAW

PRESENTS

Blast from the Past

History of the CDEL Logo

The Center for Disability & Elder Law has a unique and recognizable logo. Please read below to learn more about the history and evolution of how CDEL’s logo came to be what it is today and stay tuned throughout 2024 to learn more about CDEL’s rich history.

Logo for the Legal Clinic for the Disabled, CDEL's Predecessor Organization

 CDEL began in 1984 as the Legal Clinic for the Disabled. Our mission was to provide pro bono legal services to low-income people with disabilities. At the time, our logo combined an abbreviation of our name (LCD) with the international symbol of access, also known as the wheelchair symbol.

Center for Disability & Elder Law's current logo

 In 1997, LCD expanded its mission and services to include services to low-income senior citizens in the Metropolitan Chicago area. We changed our name from the Legal Clinic for the Disabled to the Center for Disability & Elder Law. In 2003, we introduced our new logo.

 The new logo incorporated the many aspects of our mission, specifically the interdependence of the individual (represented by the head) and the legal system (represented by the pillars). Robert D’Amato of design firm Panebianco contributed this inspired design featuring these elements:

Graphic describing the significance of each element of CDEL's logo

2014 marked CDEL’s 30th Anniversary. Maria Gedroc of Gedroc design contributed CDEL’s 30th Anniversary logo. Combining important elements of CDEL’s past, including our founding by the Chicago Bar Association and its Young Lawyers Section and recognizing the strength of three decades of continuous service to our clients, the 30th Anniversary logo celebrated our heritage and mission.

CDEL's 30th Anniversary Logo from 2014

 In our 40 years of operation, over 54,000 individuals have received services through CDEL.

CDEL's 40th Anniversary Logo

Thank you to LeighAnn Jandrists of LeighAnn Jandrists Design for contributing to the design of CDEL’s 40th Anniversary logo.