Brooklyn Dean Allard: Legal Profession Should Challenge Slanted, Inaccurate Press Coverage (Michael Simkovic)

Dean Nick Allard of Brooklyn Law School writes:

[T]he New York Times editorial . . . “The Law School Debt Crisis,” . . . is symptomatic of . . . the continuing negative drum beat that is demeaning law schools, law students, and the entire profession. 

The time has come for the legal community – and law schools in particular – to press the reset button on the reputation of our profession. As Deans, we should not stand silent as those with biases and outdated or inaccurate information recycle myths and tired, predictable versions of their “wisdom” about our profession, law schools and the quality of newly minted lawyers. Over and over again.

The overarching challenge facing lawyers and the law school community across the country is that there is virtually no effective public counterweight to offset the worn perceptions repeated by high visibility media and others. We must, together, come to the defense of the value of law and lawyers, and make the compelling case for lawyers’ contribution to society . . .

Let's stop the hand wringing, whining and the recycling of misperceptions. Let’s instead call attention to the positive value of our profession and the contribution we, our colleagues, and our students make. Let’s challenge ourselves and our institutions to do better. . . .

I've expressed similar sentiments about the need to work to improve the accuracy of increasingly slanted and inaccurate press coverage.