New York Fellows Hybrid Lunch Program

This event is free to attend. Open to Fellows and nominees only.

To attend this program in-person, all guests should be fully vaccinated.

“Trust me, I’m a Lawyer!”

Featuring:

Nigel J. Balmer: Research Direcot, Victoria Law Foundation; Honorary Professor of Laws, University College London

Catrina Denvir: Associate Professor, Monash University

In 2002 the American Bar Association published research on consumer perceptions of lawyers.[1]. The findings did not make for easy reading: whilst knowledgeable about the law, lawyers were seen by the American public as ‘greedy, manipulative and corrupt’. Such views point to a fundamental mistrust of the legal profession that is not unique to America, with the ‘Global Trust in Professions’ survey revealing that the majority (three-quarters) of respondents across the globe view lawyers as untrustworthy. Scandals involving high profile lawyers and law firms, including that of ‘Lawyer X’ in Australia, are all said to undermine public confidence. But is the outlook really so bad and can a few bad apples spoil the bunch? Using findings from a new large-scale survey with the public and an in-depth qualitative study with lawyers, this presentation explores what we mean by trust, what people think of lawyers if we ask better questions, the role that costs play, and how better lawyer-client communication may help turn the tide of public opinion.

Lunch Available at 12:00 p.m.
Presentation to commence at 12:30 p.m.

The Fellows gratefully recognize: