Marketing Communications Guidelines & Policies
- Marketing Communications Guidelines & Policies
The DePaul Law Marketing Communications Department is staffed by Assistant Dean of Compliance & Communications Debbie LaGioia and Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan.
We are responsible for building and maintaining the College of Law's reputation, attracting prospective students and engaging with various stakeholders, including current students, faculty and alumni. Through strategic marketing and communication initiatives, we ensure that our institution's achievements, expertise and unique offerings are effectively conveyed to the wider legal community and beyond.
Here's a glimpse into what our department does:
- Brand Management: We oversee the College of Law's brand identity, ensuring that it aligns with the University's mission, values and overall positioning by applying University brand standards to maintain consistency across all marketing and communication materials.
- Content Creation: We generate engaging and informative content for various channels, including the College of Law's website, social media platforms and print publications to demonstrate the law school's value and expertise in the legal field.
- Digital Marketing: We develop and execute social media and email marketing campaigns to convey the College of Law community and promote its programs, events and initiatives.
- Event Promotion: We promote major College of Law events such as conferences, symposia and lectures by handling outreach efforts to ensure successful attendance and participation.
- Recruitment and Admissions: We collaborate closely with the admissions team to attract top-quality applicants to the College of Law by producing recruitment materials and creating virtual tours and other media.
- Graphic Design and Multimedia: We, along University Brand Management, create visually appealing graphics and print and digital brochures and advertisements that effectively communicate the College of Law's message and values.
Brand, Logos & Wordmarks
Colors & Fonts
Key components of the DePaul brand, including official colors and fonts, can be found in the new University Brand Guidelines (requires login).
Use of the University Seal & Coat of Arms
The DePaul University Seal and Coat of Arms are reserved for official, ceremonial and legal purposes and may not be used by individuals, units or groups without prior approval from the Office of the Secretary of the University.
- Seal: Used for diplomas, transcripts, academic ceremonies and legal documents.
- Coat of Arms: Used only in formal commemorative contexts such as certificates and awards.
Faculty & Staff
Faculty and staff with a legitimate business need to use the primary College of Law logo, or to create center, institute or initiative logo should email Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan and copy Assistant Dean Debbie LaGioia.
Please do not use the University Brand Management logo request form. Logo usage and creation are first reviewed internally by the College of Law. Law Marketing Communications will submit approved requests to University Branding on your behalf.
Student Organizations & Journals
Per University policy, students, including student organizations and journals, are not permitted to use any official University or College of Law logos, marks, the University Seal or the Coat of Arms.
Officially recognized student groups may request a university-created Affinity Mark (see page 41 of the University Brand Guidelines) by completing this form.
College of Law merchandise featuring the new College of Law Affinity Mark is available for purchase here.
Events
The College of Law hosts a variety of events annually, with a majority of them eligible for CLE credit.
Event Booking
Faculty and staff should contact Event Manager Nicole Pinkey to book an event date, time and room, as well as create a website calendar entry, Eventbrite registration page and place orders for specific room configurations, classroom technology and catering.
Student organizations should review and follow the processes outlined on the Plan an Event webpage.
Event Promotion
The College of Law Marketing Communications Department only handles event promotion by creating event webpages, when appropriate; email marketing campaigns to students, faculty, staff and alumni; posting to social media; and if a budget is available, handling digital advertising such as on LinkedIn or in the Chicago Daily Bulletin.
Chicago Daily Law Bulletin Digital Ads:
• Ad size 240 x 400 or 300 x 250: Approximately $300 for 8 days
• Headline ad in their email newsletter: Approximately $150 for 1 week
LinkedIn Ad Auction:
• Set your max price/budget, select your audience and timeframe, and the platform will place the ad accordingly until your budget is depleted
Marketing Communications typically promotes all events digitally; however, printed day-of event agendas and large-format easel posters can be created if a budget is available and a request is made at the time of event submission as described below. Posters cost approximately $75 each, and printed agendas are typically free if the quantity is below 100.
If you plan to post event flyers around the CoL, they will need to be approved by the Law Office of Student Affairs. If you need them printed, please submit your request through the Law Operations intake form.
Marketing Communications generally sends email invitations to students, faculty and staff. Alumni (all or certain subgroups) also can be included, pending permission from the Office of Alumni Relations.
Please note that we do not include public Zoom links in email invitations. Event hosts need to contact Event Manager Nicole Pinkey to create an Eventbrite registration page, and she will provide us with a registration link for the email invitation. She also will provide your registrants with a Zoom link just ahead of your event.
Marketing Communications also does not purchase outside email lists and creates external email lists only for select law school events and campaigns. If you would like an event promoted to a non-DePaul group, please provide a purchased digital email list or create an Excel spreadsheet with title, first name, last name, email address and organization name and send it to Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan and copy Assistant Dean Debbie LaGioia.
Please note that event promotion should minimally start six to eight weeks ahead of the event date, with eight or more weeks preferred. Accordingly, Marketing Communications should receive all event information at least eight to ten weeks prior to the event date in order to have enough time to create all promotional emails, social media posts and advertisements.
Marketing Communications is unable to start any production until all event text and images are provided in an unformatted Word document and the text has been reviewed and approved by Assistant Dean LaGioia. Also, please be sure to review the Photography, Releases & Permissions section below.
To start an event promotion, email all event text and images in an unformatted Word document to Assistant Dean Debbie LaGioia and copy Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan. Please do not email lawcomm@depaul.edu, which is rarely monitored.
Media Relations
The University’s Communications Department drafts and pitches news stories to the media; maintains resources for journalists, including the faculty/staff Experts Guide; provides media training to faculty and staff; creates public relations campaigns; and handles crisis communications. University Manager of Strategic Communications Mary Hansen works with the College of Law on all of its media-related needs.
To view current law school news, visit the News page, and to view current faculty-specific news, visit the Faculty & Staff page.
Photography, Releases & Permissions
Photographers
The College of Law and University do not have a staff photographer or videographer available for general use. The Marketing Communications Department can help you book a professional event photographer, which costs approximately $400-$500 for a two-hour timeframe, if booked in advance. If you are using images solely for social media purposes, you can use a cellphone with a decent camera to capture images.
Photo Releases & Permissions
Excluding event attendees, the university online photo and video release form should be signed by all individuals who will be photographed, videotaped or audiotaped for university publications, web pages and social media channels. Releases also are required for all speaker images used on event marketing materials. You also have the option of using a PDF version of the form:
• Photo Release Form for Minors
The event host is responsible for obtaining and, if using the above PDFs, saving all necessary photo releases for individuals speaking at their events. All releases will need to be received before the Marketing Communications Department can promote the event.
Please note that the online release is maintained by the university, not the College of Law. It also is acceptable for the event host to maintain on file emails received from their speakers that give such permission; however, it is suggested that the event host note in their initial outreach email that the law school will be using their images to promote/market the event.
To cover photography of event attendees, at least two days prior to the event, the event host should contact Event Manager Nicole Pinkey to request the College of Law’s “photography in session” posters, which should be placed at the entrance of the event space. The poster language is as follows (and is similar to the online release form):
Photography in Progress
DePaul University is photographing, video recording and/or audio recording at this location for official university purposes and publications, both online and print.
By entering, you grant DePaul University the right to license your name, image, likeness and comments in DePaul materials for all internal and external audiences. DePaul University may alter any images and recordings. You waive any right to inspect or approve the finished images and/or recordings and waive the right to any royalties and/or compensation arising from or related to the use of the images and/or recordings.
You affirm you are at least 18 years of age. If you are not, or if you have concerns regarding this release, please see a DePaul staff member at this location.
For faculty hosted events, the event manager will bring the posters and easels to the event location. Staff and students hosting events should plan on picking up the posters and easels from the event manager’s office at an agreed-upon time, and they should return everything to her office immediately after the event concludes. Her office is in the Dean’s Suite, 931 Lewis.
Stationary & Templates
Faculty & Staff
University Brand Management (UBM) created a variety of general DePaul templates for Word, PowerPoint, Zoom and Teams.
A College of Law email template can be obtained by emailing Lori Wolan.
Electronic stationery can be ordered through UBM’s online intake form. Official DePaul printed stationery (business cards, letterhead, envelopes, etc.) must be ordered directly through a university preferred vendor. Please email universitybrand@depaul.edu to request a log-in.
Students
Students are not permitted to use any official DePaul stationery or templates.
Social Media
The College of Law expects all community members using social media to represent the law school to review and adhere to the University’s Social Media Standards, which strives to foster open discourse in a respectful manner.
Posting to the Main College of Law Social Media Accounts
Faculty, staff and student organizations and journals with news they would like posted to the College of Law’s main social media accounts should email all relevant information, including photos and descriptions, to Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan and copy Assistant Dean Debbie LaGioia. To be added to the social media schedule, requests must be received by Thursday of the week prior to the desired posting date. Please do not email lawcomm@depaul.edu, which is rarely monitored, or send predesigned images, unless they adhere to University branding (e.g., fonts, colors, etc.).
The College of Law maintains social media accounts on the following platforms:
• Facebook: @DePaulCollegeofLaw
• Instagram: @depaullaw
• LinkedIn: DePaul University College of Law
• X (Twitter): @DePaulLaw
• YouTube: DePaul University College of Law
Creating Social Media Accounts
Only officially recognized College of Law departments, programs, centers, institutes, initiatives, student organizations and journals may create DePaul Law social media accounts.
A depaul.edu program/department email address, if available, should be used to create social media accounts, so oversight can be more easily transferred to a different administrator, if necessary.
Account handles should include the department, program, center, institute, initiative, organization or journal name along with “DePaul College of Law” or “DePaul Law.” Do not use just the University or College of Law name, as users may assume the account speaks for the entire University or College of Law, which it does not.
Marketing Communications only maintains password information for the main law school accounts. However, if content inconsistent with the guidelines is found on any non-primary DePaul Law social media account, we will request that it be taken down immediately.
Website
The College of Law Marketing Communications Department is responsible for maintaining all content on law.depaul.edu.
If you have minor updates to existing web content, such as faculty bios or student organization descriptions, please email Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan and copy Assistant Dean Debbie LaGioia.
Your email should include the specific page/URL requiring updating, and it should provide the exact text changes that are needed. We strive to turn around minor updates the same day, and we will reach out to you if more time is needed.
If you would like to change, remove or add substantive content on the law school website, please email your request to Debbie LaGioia. Your email should include the specific location/URL for the proposed change and a draft of any new text to be added/changed. Your text will be reviewed by Assistant Dean LaGioia, and once approved, it will be sent to Digital Marketing Specialist Lori Wolan for execution. Timeframes for such requests will vary depending on the complexity of the content.