Taking Our Image Into Our Own Hands

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