ABSTRACT
Publicists and lawyers have an uneasy, but increasingly collaborative, relationship. A big error many lawyers make, according to public relations executives, is in failing to recognize that while silence should be accorded a presumption of innocence in the courtroom, it is likely to be taken as a sign of guilt in the pressroom. Interviews with publicists, lawyers, and print and broadcast journalists who have been involved in high-profile trials suggest that those thrown into the eye of media storms are ill-prepared for what they are about to face. There is a lack of interdisciplinary training. As a result, litigation public relations promises to be a burgeoning subspecialty. Two high-profile trials in the 1980s exposed the use of public relations tactics by lawyers. Libel actions filed by General William Westmoreland against CBS and by Israeli Defense Minister Ariel Sharon against Time, Inc. showcased the intricate relationship between public opinion, individual reputations, and the law.
