Around the country, Legal Services programs focus on their extremely difficult mission providing as much legal help as possible to those who need it the most. But when the public isn t regularly reminded that local lawyers take some cases for free or greatly reduced prices, people may suffer through difficult situations, assuming they are too poor to get legal help for their problems. Rachael Piercey, executive director of the New Orleans Pro Bono Project, coordinates the efforts of about 1,200 volunteer lawyers. She gets some media coverage, but says she would welcome more. Although lawyers, like members of any other profession, like to be appreciated, Piercey s main concern about the lack of media coverage is how it affects the public.
Poor people aren t the only ones.
The gap between the legal community and the media can, and should, be bridged, said Tripp Frohlichstein, a St. Louis-based media relations consultant whose clients include The Missouri Bar and a number of major law firms. Frohlichstein previously worked in TV news and writes a regular column on the media for The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Frohlichstein would like to do away with Latin, and have lawyers speak in plain English. If you start saying 'pro bono, nobody understands. Fault lays at both parties' feet.