Full Court, Press

My friend Pat McGuigan, who has got to be the hardest-working scribe in Oklahoma, has an interesting new essay ('Leading lawyers say litigators need common-sense public relations') over at Tulsa Today. Pat has a master's degree in medieval history and is the editor of seven books, including Law, Economics & Civil Justice: A Reform Agenda and Crime & Punishment in Modern America. He writes:

After many years of watching the development of modern litigation and the law, I have become convinced that a wise public relations strategy is essential to the work of lawyers. Long ago, as a young observer of the law, I was not absolutely convinced of this. So, I've reflected inwardly of late that my new view might flow from age and a touch of cynicism. To test my hypothesis, I tracked down a few of the nation's best-known lawyers, and several respected legal minds in Oklahoma.

I was surprised at the unanimity among the legal eagles Pat interviewed: the court of public opinion cannot be ignored. Pat's piece is worth a look.