Back on July 1st, I wrote a short piece praising SuperLawyers for writing an article, not just because it was on the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund, but because they actually called me to fact-check my quotes. This fact-checking is something other media outlets have fallen down on from time to time.
That article is now out: The Largest Pro Bono Effort in History, about the creation of the Fund and Trial Lawyers Care, the pro bono legal effort (1,100 lawyers) that stepped forward to represent people for free.
I think it’s a good read. It sorts through not only the legal issues of the Fund, but also the emotional issues that presented themselves for many New York lawyers that were in town that day who then stepped forward to volunteer with Trial Lawyers Care.
On any given day it’s easy to find political types beating up on lawyers because, as I’ve said many times, when we defend ourselves we usually sound like lawyers. Stories about this massive pro bono reflect the very best of what the profession is capable of, and I was proud to be a (very small) part of it.
Please give the story a read, and if you have your own blog, pass it along as a counterweight to the negative stories that appear. I say that because negative news stories, not just about the law but about everything (“if it bleeds it leads”), are what drives the news business.
Hey Eric – I work for a personal injury firm here in Houston, Texas. I’m a little late but I just came across your post. It is always nice to see the way an industry like ours can come together to help people in ways that really matter. I think its easy to forget sometimes, especially with the way the media work, that most of us became lawyers because we want to help people.
Anyways, thanks for sharing! – Aly