Over the last 10 years I have noticed a different juror in many cases. These are citizens that identify more with the Defendant in a civil lawsuit than the Plaintiff, the person who has been forced to sue to receive a fair settlement. The reason for this, in my opinion, is the more recent rank commercialism of our profession that has tainted the average person’s view of what the civil trial lawyer’s role is in society.

The billboards with grinning lawyers and obnoxious yellow pages ads reek with a message of greed; not the message of hope or the rights of the powerless in our society to be able to retain a lawyer to fight, no matter what the odds.

Indeed, the insurance companies have gained much ground in the battle for the minds of jurors. Their propanda and war chest of millions has bought so much media and public attention that the individual with an injury is now perceived as the bad guy. Trial lawyers need to do a better job of getting the message of service, hope and justice out to the people- for this is why we do what we do.

A yellow page ad, a tv ad or a billboard does not a good lawyer make, just like advertising does not necessarily make a good sandwich. Find the beef.

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