Educating the Public: The CBA’s new media strategy

Colleagues.

Confession: I read newspapers and magazines. Online, of course, I am not a luddite, but I do appreciate well-thought-out and researched articles. I watch the news on television. I listen to the radio. Every time I watch the Reds on TV, I pine for the times when I listened to Marty and Joe.

I appreciate it when the reporters, producers, and broadcasters take the time to research and delve into a topic. When I consume this type of news, I feel better informed. Sigh… unfortunately, the variety and abundance of such news articles, programs, and features are becoming rarer. The quality is erratic. 

So, what does that have to do with the CBA? Lots. The mission of the CBA is to ensure the integrity of our legal profession and champion the work and efforts of our legal community through education, diversity and inclusion, service and professional networking. It is on education that I am now most focused. 

Have you ever listened to a media broadcast or read an article covering a legal case or discussing an aspect of the law and thought to yourself, “I really don’t think that is correct?” Or, “Wow, that is a major simplification!”? 

In our unprecedented year, the law and our Constitution were discussed, quoted, and analyzed regarding a plethora of topics: the impeachment(s), pardons, due process, pandemic response, individual liberty versus community responsibility, racial and criminal justice, and the electoral college, to list a few. 

In my career, I have spoken with many reporters regarding legal topics. I have always strived to properly explain the legal concept or law that was pertinent. In the courthouse, many reporters followed up on cases, and I always referred them to numerous members of our association that could assist the public in understanding the pertinent law. As so often happens, my referrals have not always been acted upon. I understand time and financial pressure of modern media. I understand the attention span of the modern news consumer is limited. Knowing how busy we all are in 21^st century life, and understanding that members of the media are on tight deadlines — something we’re all familiar with — my question became this: How can we elevate the CBA and its members to the forefront of our community’s minds when it comes to parsing and really understanding the legal issues we all inevitably come into contact? 

For better or worse, at this moment in time, as far as educating the public on the law in our Greater Cincinnati community is concerned, the CBA has no serious competition. I say “for better or worse” because this is both a sad circumstance of reality, but also a great opportunity for us. An opportunity to more deeply fulfill our mission to educate the public on the law, and the importance of legal process and the legal profession. To do so, we need to be more vocal and visible.

After a consulting with our sister association in Cleveland (whose members have struggled with this same issue,) we at the CBA are designing a more ambitious media strategy.

The first component is to adopt a new policy that will allow the Executive Committee to respond more quickly and issue statements on matters of importance to our membership. One simple step is vetting out statements and explanations in advance, so they can be more readily deployed. Examples include supporting the independence of the judiciary, the value of a legal education, the role of legal clinics, and the importance of seeking licensed legal advice in litigation and court appearance. 

The second component is to collaborate with members and our local law schools to amplify our Speakers Bureau, from which we call upon qualified, vetted lawyers to explain law and process to our local media and community. The Speakers Bureau already appears before varied outfits, including schools and local community groups. We will expand these opportunities and cultivate new opportunities with local media.  

There are other components to our endeavor in the works. Please look for more to come. If you’re interested in participating as a member of the Speakers Bureau, please contact Leyla Shokoohe. 

Our association, and its importance in our community, depends entirely on your support. In addition, to what was outlined above regarding our public education efforts, the CBA is a sponsor of the high school Mock Trial competition, the CALL program, the CBA BLAC Round Table, and lots of relevant and topical programs to assist our lawyers in these trying times. Please support this great organization with your generosity and your time. 

A year ago, I was sworn in as CBA President. On that day in May, closer to the beginning of the pandemic than the end, I stated that my goal was to make sure there still would still be a CBA. At the time, it did not seem like a low bar. I’m thrilled that goal has been met. Facing a dual health and economic crisis, I am so proud of the contributions of our staff, volunteers, and members. I am confident, as my term is winding down, that the CBA is in a strong position moving forward, and is prepared to navigate the (hopefully minimal) troubles of the future. It has been an honor and a privilege to be your President. Thank you.