Vol. 75, No. 4, April
2002
Another State's Experience
Other bars have launched statewide efforts to portray lawyers in a
positive light. Further down the path than most is the Alabama State
Bar, which has a campaign now in its sixth year. While many differences
exist between the Alabama and Wisconsin approaches, the underlying
purpose is the same. "We want to show the public the good things lawyers
are doing," says Susan Andres, director of communications and public
information for the Alabama State Bar. "One point we make every time we
get a chance is that if lawyers don't take an active role in defining
their image, others will define it for them."
As in Wisconsin, the impetus for the Alabama campaign sprang from the
Bar membership itself. While the Alabama Bar's board was at first
reluctant to spend money on such a campaign, a membership survey a few
years before had found that 81 percent of members wanted their dues
spent on projects that would help improve the image of lawyers,
according to Andres. With such strong membership backing, the project
moved ahead.
The Alabama Bar spent $30,000, or about $2.50 per member, to produce
and distribute 100 copies of an eight-minute video depicting lawyers at
work in their communities. These videos made their way into civic group
meetings, schools, churches, and other public forums across Alabama. "We
wanted to make it so that if a lawyer got a call from the Rotary Club to
come in to speak that week, he or she would have something ready to
use," Andres explains. Excerpts from the video later served as the basis
for radio and television spots.
While the Alabama Bar has had no funds to conduct before-and-after
studies of shifts in public attitudes, it has been able to gather a few
statistics that offer some indication of the public's responsiveness.
For instance, one of the campaign's media spots promoted the Bar's
alternative dispute resolution center, which saw a 51 percent increase
in inquiries during a two-year period. Another spot focused on the Bar's
lawyer referral service and consumer brochures; requests for both grew
17.5 percent in two years.
One other result has been a bit of a surprise, Andres adds. The
target group for the campaign is, of course, the general public. "But we
also get responses from lawyers who have seen the video," she says.
"They've told us it's impressive and that it makes them proud to be a
lawyer. I call that our little bonus result."
ABA Begins Public Education Program on the Law, Lawyers, and
Democracy
The American Bar Association announced in early March that it has
hired an Austin, Texas-based public affairs firm to assist the
association in helping the public understand the role of the rule of law
and the value lawyers bring to a free society.
Echoing the sentiment expressed by Wisconsin attorneys about the
State Bar, ABA President Robert E. Hirshon said, "It has become
increasingly clear that ABA members want their association to help the
public understand the important connection between the rule of law, the
work of the legal profession, and the freedoms we enjoy living in a
democracy. Whenever we've asked our members to tell us what they want
the ABA to do for them, helping the public understand the importance of
the law and the role of the legal profession is always at the top of
their list."
The ABA plans several informational programs targeted to key groups
in the country's largest markets. "We have wonderful stories to tell
about the meaning of the rule of law and the contribution the lawyers of
America are making each day to make it possible for people in this
country to exercise their freedoms," said Hirshon. "That is a luxury few
other nations in the world know, and one our nation does not take for
granted."
The ABA Board of Governors authorized an expenditure of $200,000 from
its current budget for the current fiscal year, and up to $2 million for
the project in fiscal 2002-03.
To Learn More:
For assistance in incorporating the brand into your firm's
communications, or for more information, please contact:
- Mark Lamkins, State Bar marketing manager, mlamkins@wisbar.org, (800)
444-9404, ext. 6167; or
- Trina Gray, State Bar media relations coordinator, tgray@wisbar.org, (800) 444-9404,
ext. 6025.
In addition, the Bar is creating a branding area on WisBar where you
can find research on public and lawyer attitudes, the tool kit
containing ready-made materials for lawyers to use in communicating the
brand, and related articles and other information. If you are not
attending the Annual Convention in May, you will be able to access the
tool kit on this siteafter June 1.
Wisconsin
Lawyer
