Discussion Materials - Lawyer as Professional

Think about why you came to law school and your perceptions of lawyers.  Have these changed since you started law school?  Why or why not? 

How does the public view lawyers?

Read Public Perceptions of Lawyers: Consumer Research Findings (April 2002) at http://www.abanet.org/litigation/lawyers/publicperceptions.pdf (this is a quick read).

Read Can the Legal Profession Improve its Image? at http://writ.news.findlaw.com/scripts/printer_friendly.pl?page=/dorf/20020417.html

Do you agree with these public perceptions?  Why or why not?

Regardless of our own beliefs about lawyers, what can we learn from these findings?  What actions can and should we take as individuals and/or as a profession to address these public concerns?

Think about the additional questions raised in the Materials and be prepared to discuss them.  Also think about what you would like to get out of a Professional Responsibility class.