The Texas Legal Services Center team had grown so accustomed to their existing site they were skeptical anyone could provide a better solution. We set out to change that by reimagining TexasLawHelp.org as a more accessible, mobile-friendly, and efficient platform that brings critical legal resources to those who need them most.
Background
Founded in 1977, Texas Legal Services Center (TLSC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing legal advice, advocacy, representation, and education to underserved communities across Texas. Their subsidiary site, TexasLawHelp.org (TLH), plays a crucial role in this mission, offering free legal forms, guidance, and connections to legal aid attorneys.
With more than 5 million visitors and 14.7 million page views annually, TLH is a lifeline for individuals who cannot afford legal assistance — particularly in remote and rural areas where affordable legal services are limited. As demand for these resources surged, especially during the pandemic, TLSC saw a critical opportunity to enhance TLH’s impact through a website redesign.
Texas Legal Services Center
When we were dreaming up what we thought the site could be, we never could have imagined it would turn out this way. It far exceeded our expectations.
—Amanda Hill, Director of Development
The challenge
Transforming a critical legal aid website for the future
For nearly 20 years, TexasLawHelp.org had served Texans in need, but it was overdue for a modern refresh. The nonprofit’s leadership team sought a redesign that would:
- Better align TLH with TLSC’s rebranding initiative.
- Improve site navigation so users could find resources without relying solely on search.
- Enhance the mobile experience, as two-thirds of TLH’s visitors access the site on their phones.
- Streamline content publishing to reduce technical barriers for legal reviewers and site administrators.
Improving accessibility and usability for a diverse audience
While the site housed thousands of pages of legal content, much of it was buried within dense, text-heavy layouts. For a user base often in urgent need of legal assistance, every unnecessary click or confusing interface element could mean the difference between getting help and giving up.
The solution
Replatforming and reinventing the user experience
We approached the TexasLawHelp.org redesign with three key priorities:
- Making legal resources easier to find. We restructured the content map, improved navigation, and reduced reliance on site search to help users quickly locate the right forms and information.
- Optimizing for mobile accessibility. A fully responsive interface ensures seamless access to legal aid on any device, meeting users where they are.
- Streamlining content management. A modern CMS (Drupal) simplifies content updates, enabling site administrators and legal experts to publish new information efficiently.
With a cleaner, more intuitive interface and a robust backend, the new TLH website empowers both visitors and TLSC’s legal team to work more effectively.
Texas Legal Services Center
Working with Four Kitchens really set us up to create a roadmap to reach our goals. We feel empowered and supported by our partnership with Four Kitchens.
—Meghan Lee, Communications Manager
The results
A more effective and scalable legal aid platform
The redesigned site delivers a unified, user-friendly experience that better reflects TLSC’s services and mission. Key improvements include:
- More intuitive navigation that makes critical legal resources easier to access.
- A fully mobile-optimized design ensuring accessibility across all devices.
- A streamlined publishing process that allows attorneys to update content more efficiently, ensuring legal information remains accurate and up to date.
Future-ready flexibility for growth and innovation
In addition to enhancing user experience, the redesigned site has improved security, performance, and maintainability, reducing ongoing technical burdens on TLSC’s team. The platform’s flexibility also lays the groundwork for future enhancements, including improved personalization and additional self-help tools.
Looking ahead: Continuous Care for long-term success
Since its relaunch, TLSC has transitioned to our Continuous Care program for ongoing website support. Additional navigation improvements and feature enhancements are already planned for future development phases.
Texas Legal Services Center
I could not imagine tackling a project of this magnitude with anyone except Four Kitchens. They truly became an extension of our TLSC team.
—Meghan Lee, Communications Manager
The details
Services provided
- Accessibility
- Development
- Testing and QA
- User experience
- Continuous Care
Technologies used
- Drupal
- Emulsify design system
Ready to build what’s next?
If your nonprofit is ready to transform its digital experience to better serve your community, let’s make it happen!