This CLE has been approved for 1 Other MCLE credit. Activity number: 1227218.
Working with news reporters in today’s balkanized journalistic environment can be challenging and stressful. And it can be particularly hard for criminal defense attorneys, who often represent vulnerable clients but who also have a perspective and voice our community desperately needs to hear. How do you navigate this challenging landscape? How can you help to shape the narrative without harming the people you represent? Brian Robick and Leslie Brown, both of whom have extensive experience in media relations, will discuss the risks and potential rewards of working with news organizations. They’ll discuss practical considerations: How to develop messages and stay on message; how to develop a media strategy and when to do so; how to respond when a reporter calls with a “quick question.” They’ll also explore some of the bigger questions defense lawyers face, such as the RPCs that govern this work and what press engagement can mean for a client. Brian is the communications director at the ACLU of Washington, where he leads communications strategy on legal, public policy advocacy, and public education efforts. Leslie is the communications manager at the King County Department of Public Defense and a former news reporter.
