Taking Our Image Into Our Own Hands
There are many concrete actions lawyers can take now
to help improve their public image
by Gerry
Mowris
"The Practice," "Ally McBeal," "Family Law," "Law &
Order," "Philly." All are current television shows about lawyers –
some more true to life than others. It is no secret that television
shapes (or taints) people's perceptions about lawyers and the justice
system. Television dramas perpetuate the belief that all lawyers are
wealthy and that lawyers handle only flashy cases, cheat for their
clients, and will go to any length to win. These perceptions –
compounded by years of media coverage about our colleagues who do break
the rules – have clearly impacted the image of our profession.
It is a commonly shared belief among lawyers and judges
that our reputation has declined in the eyes of the public. According to
the 2001 Bench Bar Survey (see related article on page 10), 89 percent
of respondents agreed that the reputation of the legal profession has
declined in the eyes of the public. How can we turn this around?
I have already written about our efforts to restore
public trust and confidence in the system. The public trust initiative
– a partnership with the Wisconsin Supreme Court, the Director of
State Courts, and the League of Women Voters – suggests specific
measures for making substantive changes to fix problems that exist and
for reconnecting with the public. We recently appointed an
implementation committee to move these efforts forward and are planning
a showcase presentation at our annual convention.
At the same time, the State Bar is developing a positive
message about the legal profession to work into a statewide positive
public image campaign. Our hope is to better educate the public about
the legal profession and develop a common theme about how lawyers
contribute to the community.
While the State Bar works on these long-term efforts, we
can all do something now – something real and tangible – to
improve public trust and improve our image.
• We can do what more than 100 lawyers did on Oct.
4 at the State Bar Center – volunteer to provide pro bono legal
assistance to military personnel who are called to serve our country in
our battle against terrorism.
• We can volunteer to help field questions and assist those who
are being investigated by the FBI and INS as those agencies investigate
terrorism here in Wisconsin.
• We can help the public understand the critical need to balance
civil liberties with public safety by participating in public
discussions and debates, or by writing guest editorials to our local
newspapers.
• We can volunteer to help citizens whose lives are affected by
terrorists' acts with their legal problems.
As lawyers, we can help our image and promote confidence
in our system by showing citizens that we care. Let us join together to
help those in need, and provide education and pro bono assistance to the
community in this time of national turmoil. Our volunteer efforts will
go miles in earning the public's trust and confidence.
Wisconsin Lawyer
