Law Marketing
Bibliography
Reviews of books on client development
for lawyers and law marketing professionals
Lawyers and Reporters
Edited by Robert L. Rothman
ABA Litigation Section, Chicago, 2000
Paperback, 174 pages, $54
Reviewed by David M. Freedman
This book is primarily for litigators and criminal defense lawyers engaged in high-profile cases. The emphasis is on serving clients, not on marketing legal services.
Lawyers and Reporters comprises 16 chapters written by 18 different authors: 11 attorneys (including two prosecutors and a judge), three journalists, three PR consultants, and a communications professor. The collected work is edited by a lawyer who focuses on commercial litigation and media law.
Some of the chapters overlap others, but the book is fairly neatly organized into four main sections:
- Overview. Written by attorneys, the two chapters
in this section are conceptual, not practical.
- About journalists. How to establish good relationships with reporters, including a good explanation of on vs. off the record. Three fairly strong chapters
- Delivering the message. Three PR consultants talk very superficially about writing press releases and conducting media interviews.
- Media relations for lawyers. Strong chapters (though repetitive) about special circumstances related to high-profile litigation and criminal defense. The seven chapters in this section include the following:
- A brief guide to litigation PR
- A (redundant) guide to litigation PR
- Ethical considerations when dealing with media
- Prosecutors and the media
- Media relations in high-profile criminal cases
- Unpopular clients or causes and the media
- Judges and the media
You'll need another book if you want to learn about writing press releases and conducting media interviews.
About the
editor
Robert L. Rothman is a partner in the Atlanta law firm of Arnall Golden
& Gregory LLP. He is chair of the firm's Litigation Department, and
was chair of the first Georgia Bar, media, and Judiciary Conference.
Before attending law school, Rothman was a reporter for several Florida
newspapers, including The Tampa Tribune.
About the reviewer
David M. Freedman is a Chicago-based writer
and media relations consultant, specializing in the fields of law and
finance. He won a Your Honor Award in 2001 from the Legal
Marketing Association for excellence in public relations.
© 2005-2008 Freedman
Posted 9/24/05
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How to Do the Interview: Policies, Strategies, and Techniques
A Handbook in the GET GOOD PRESS Series for Lawyers
(www.getgoodpress.com)
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