The Phoenix Has Landed: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Heading
Before Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, there was Texas Rural Legal Aid, our initial program from 1970.
With the creation of the Legal Services Corporation (LSC) in 1974, expansion into more rural counties, and periods of reduced funding, Texas Rural Legal Aid (acronym TRLA) merged with four legal aid programs in 2002. Our program’s original name, Texas Rural Legal Aid, was changed to reflect the merger—we’d become Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA). In true TRLA fashion, we’d keep our TRLA acronym as a nod to those who came before us.
With the name change, our logo followed suit. The original TRLA logo was eventually slightly modernized and refined in 2021 and kept until the Phoenix landed in 2024—our newest logo.
As a multigenerational organization, TRLA recognizes the changing needs of our clients and staff members. Yet, our and the client’s collective determination, grit, and resilience have remained the same.
Our history runs deep and serves as a rite of passage for many. As we enter this new chapter with the Phoenix, we know there is power in remembering where we’ve been and where we’re going. On our way to our North Star, we welcome you to take the journey with us across TRLA and three of many notable historical markers.
Historical Marker #1: Texas Rural Legal Aid, Pre-Merger (1970s-2000s)
In 1970, the world looked different, and the need for legal representation for underserved communities, particularly for farmworkers in the state, was apparent. At a time when the farmworker movement of the ‘60s and ‘70s was at an all-time high, our program filled a need for many farmworkers experiencing harsh living conditions, unpaid wages, and sexual harassment, among many other legal issues.
Texas Rural Legal Aid was a much smaller program with significantly less funding. Yet advocates, at this time, would litigate some of the most pressing and monumental cases of that era, including the Texas Farm Worker Union (TFWU) strikes surrounding an onion harvest and packing workers.
The logo of this time embodied the clients for whom that program was initially founded— farmworkers. We recognized the potential language barrier our clients might face at this time, and “Servicios Legales” [Legal Services] was added. This logo would set the tone for its logo successors with its core element – the presence of human figures. The logo represented the community and enabled folks to recognize their strength and ability to seek a helping hand.
In the ‘80s, nearly all cases involved an agricultural complaint, whether unpaid wages, minimum wage, or underage worker claims; TRLA was on the front lines, addressing these legal issues head-on.
“Can you imagine working in a muddy field where the mud is so high it covers your ankles you can barely walk?” recalls Jose Torres, a TRLA Farmworker Paralegal since 1978. “That’s why we fought so hard, so people wouldn’t have to endure such hardships.”
As TRLA prepared for its merger, our late Executive Director David G. Hall knew there was power in numbers and unity.
Historical Marker #2: TRLA Post-Merger (2002)
In 2002, four legal aid programs in Texas merged with Texas Rural Legal Aid to create Texas RioGrande Legal Aid. This change doubled the size of our clientele and signaled a change of era. In our first year of the merger, our impact would be felt dramatically among 25,000 clients in Texas facing legal issues.
Our logo would begin the process of modernization. Post-merger, this first logo would become a beacon of hope to many, especially farmworkers – who are still woven into our branding today. The “Western” style TRLA logo was initiated by David — “David would come back from CLEs, and his favorite phrase was: ‘Emma, I have a project for you!’ And this logo was one of those projects,” recalls Emma Villarreal, David’s Executive Secretary at the time, who has worked with TRLA since 1977.
David was often known for his unwavering passion for our client community. He was filled with inspiration and a deep need to continue building TRLA so our impact could be felt widely, especially by those who needed legal support the most.
“David knew the community and its needs, and he wanted something reflective of them [clients],” says Villarreal. “Saddlebag. That’s the font, and it wasn’t easy to find. No computer applications had a font like it…it’s very special.” While challenging to find, David made it happen, and the Saddlebag font would debut on the TRLA logo and maintain its presence for years to come.
As TRLA grew, so did our staff, and our impact continued, involving lawsuits on behalf of farmworkers plagued with discrimination, unpaid wages, and widespread abuse.
“The farmworker program had a long history before I even started,” says Beto Mesta, El Paso office Branch Manager and practicing attorney. “When I was hired as a farmworker attorney, I was given a ‘Sacred Text Farmworker Handbook,’ and this logo was in place and can be found in the handbook, which I still have to this day.”
Before TRLA had access to legal resources, legendary farmworker attorneys at TRLA, Greg Schell, Michael Dale, and others, created the iconic sacred text handbook, which included annotated outlines on farmworker caselaw.
“This logo always reminded me of the sacred text…it was an initiation to new farmworker advocates entering TRLA,” says Attorney Mesta.
Historical Marker #3: Refining the Post-Merger Design to Reflect Client Needs (2021)
At this time, our post-merger logo was refined – it maintained its essence of the Saddlebag font and incorporated new elements: Legal Aid and ‘Justice begins here.’*
Our work was widely recognized at this time, both state-wide and nationally — TRLA would maintain its “community lawyering” value. This meant empowering all staff members to “lawyer” and “advocate” locally in their communities. There is power in engaging directly with client communities in Texas, and it has allowed us to recognize the changing needs right at home.
TRLA’s [2021] logo would directly address the needs of our clients.
“In my work with the community [farmworkers], the word ‘Legal Aid’ made it easy for them to understand what we do and how we can help,” says Arlow Cruz Veliz, Farmworker Paralegal. “We’re mindful of where our clients are in terms of education level and meet them halfway…by looking at our logo, they know we can help.”
The Phoenix Has Landed: Remembering the Past, As We Head into the Future (2024)
Earlier this year, the Phoenix landed. Out of the ash, it rose. Resilient in nature, like our clients, the Phoenix fights through the ashes and flames, adapts, and does not fear oppression. It recognizes it and moves through any obstacle with unwavering strength.
While our roots run deep with those in “El Valle de Lágrimas,” our impact is widespread across the state, assisting Texans with many legal issues. Today, we still fight for farmworkers in the fields, and empower survivors of domestic abuse, and folks faced with homelessness or at risk of losing their homes. We support veterans in need, reinstate public benefits for many, rally up against environmental injustices, empower foster youth, and so many others. Our work is not easy, but it is a necessary piece in the creation of a more equitable world for all.
“Our logo tells a historical story…TRLA has a long history of defending the most vulnerable demographics against exploitation. It is only fitting that our logo takes inspiration from the defenders of the past,” adds Summer Masoud, TRLA’s Grant Writer.
As we fly into this new chapter with the Phoenix by our side, we acknowledge change is difficult—but if we learned anything from our clients, it is that there is power in adaptability. As we reflect on our past, we recognize the challenges, the systemic barriers at play, and, most importantly, the work still needed to close the justice gap.
"In everyday society, you may hold the door open for someone or compliment their dress. But how often do we get to get up every day and promote some change?” asks Rebecca Rusk, Legal Assistant. “To demonstrate that from the start to the end of the day? That's my why…It makes a difference to the clients to be heard and to talk through an impossible situation.”
While we look different, we are still change makers and social justice fighters—and rest assured, we still sue the bastards.
To learn more about the anatomy of our new logo and its various elements, please visit: https://www.trla.org/we-look-different-new-logo-video.
* TRLA officially copyrighted “Justice begins here” in 2022.