OT: A disturbing trend in legal promotions
Posted on April 18, 2011Recently, I saw an TV ad for a local personal injury attorney that really disturbed me. In it, he promised his clients that he would fight to get them the largest settlement possible, and boasted of his prowess in doing so.He didn’t talk about finding the truth.
He didn’t refer to doing the best possible job for his clients.
He didn’t mention the idea of helping people who were wronged.It was all about the money, and the lottery-style payout you might get if you select him to be your attorney.
In a related story, a prominent NY law firm is running a “Guess the Verdict” contest. The contest takes the form of a description of an actual personal injury or medical malpractice case and asks the contestant to guess the amount of the settlement or verdict. The closest guess to the settlement amount wins the contest and a free iPad2.
Seems to me that this somehow turns the whole legal process into a nauseating game.
It’s not about “the people” anymore or about “doing the right thing”, is it? It’s just about the money.
I find it discouraging that our society has sunk to this level. I’m sure there are some noble attorneys out there – and I’d appreciate hearing how they feel about these advertisements.
What are your thoughts?
He didn’t mention the idea of helping people who were wronged.It was all about the money, and the lottery-style payout you might get if you select him to be your attorney.
In a related story, a prominent NY law firm is running a “Guess the Verdict” contest. The contest takes the form of a description of an actual personal injury or medical malpractice case and asks the contestant to guess the amount of the settlement or verdict. The closest guess to the settlement amount wins the contest and a free iPad2.
Seems to me that this somehow turns the whole legal process into a nauseating game.
It’s not about “the people” anymore or about “doing the right thing”, is it? It’s just about the money.
I find it discouraging that our society has sunk to this level. I’m sure there are some noble attorneys out there – and I’d appreciate hearing how they feel about these advertisements.
What are your thoughts?