On Demand
Audio
"Why Her & Not Me?”: How You Can Be the Attorney Reporters Call Without Losing Your License
Produced on May 23, 2016
Course Information
Course Description
When you see another attorney with a practice similar to yours quoted in the business press or trade media, do you wonder why you were not asked for comment? Reporters call the people they know; they don't call an attorney they have never heard of. How might you introduce yourself to a reporter as a source on a specific area of the law? And when a reporter does call you, where do you draw the lines to ensure you stay within bounds, either as an experienced professional and third-party observer or when speaking about your own case?
In this course, Patricia Werschulz of Werschulz Patent Law and Janet Falk of Falk Communications and Research establish the requirements and ethical boundaries for speaking with the media. They also review sample documents that will help you connect with reporters at the business and trade press your clients and prospects read.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify the ethical issues involved when you present yourself as a source to reporters
- Grasp the ethical boundaries of speaking to reporters about a case filed by your own firm
- Prepare brief biographical materials to introduce yourself to reporters as a credible source on legal and business issues
- Compose materials to announce the status of a case filed in court
Credit Information
Faculty
Patricia Werschulz
Werschulz Patent Law, LLC
Pat Werschulz is an intellectual property lawyer and a registered patent attorney with many years of industrial experience in product development and manufacturing. Prior to entering law practice, Pat was a chemist in the pharmaceutical industry, holding positions from bench chemist to Research Director.
She chose intellectual property law, as a second career because of a long-held fascination with patents and trademarks. After spending decades in the pharmaceutical industry working with patents, either researching for submission in new patent applications or developing a non-infringing alternate to a competitor’s patent, she wanted to help others file their own applications.
Pat’s patent practice has not been limited to just life sciences, but also includes a wide range of industrial consumer products. She has helped clients obtain patents in a wide range of art, from clothing to automobile parts, from baby accessories to sporting equipment.
Ms. Werschulz received her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Chatham College of Pittsburgh, her M.B.A from Fordham University and her J.D from Rutgers School of Law–Newark. Ms. Werschulz has a history of academic excellence, receiving the ABA/BNA Award for Excellence in Intellectual Property Law at Rutgers, the Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence at Fordham, graduating with the highest G.P.A. in her class and the American Chemical Society Outstanding Senior Chemistry Major as an undergraduate.
Janet Falk
Falk Communications & Research
Janet Falk is a communications professional with more than 25 years experience in-house and at public relations agencies. Prior to launching Falk Communications and Research in 2009, she served as Media Relations Counsel for more than 350 attorneys in the Corporate & Securities, Private Equity, Financial Industry, Bankruptcy, Securities Litigation and New York Commercial Litigation practice groups at Reed Smith LLP. Janet arranged for these attorneys to speak on timely legal and business issues with reporters at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Law Journal, CNBC and Time magazine, among other top-tier legal, business and trade media. These interviews led to quotes in front-page articles and other news stories, which generated new clients for the law firm, resulting in more than a million dollars in new business.
Earlier in her career, Janet worked in Public Relations and Marketing Communications for Wall Street firms, including Deutsche Bank, Smith Barney and Bear Stearns, in various market sectors (private equity, investment banking, equity research, fixed income and securities clearing). In addition to managing press relations, she composed articles, conference presentations and speeches for senior executives, as well as digital content. Janet has a Ph.D. in Spanish Literature and speaks Spanish and French.
Reviews
An interesting subject I never thought about.
These ladies know their stuff and presented it very well.
Very informative
Great
very interesting and helpful to know the limits of what can be done,
interesting!
Excellent content
A good course with a comibination of practical advice and legal ethics.
Very informative
Every attorney needs this class.
interesting area of discussion that is seldom done; kudos to lawline for including in the ethics course offerings.
Interesting
Very informative
Great program, very informative !
Amazing presentation.
useful and well-done
Very informative
Thank you!
knowledgeable speakers.
Very good presentation well done thank you
Helpful to me in not overstepping lines of which I was not fully aware. Good program.
Very useful and practical information.
great topic
interesting course on an interesting topic
Two voices, two perspectives, great.
Extremely helpful. Included a lot of very useful information.
Very poised presentation, and very well-presented.
Good course.
all good
Very nice
Unique topic I seldom think about. Would love to see similar topics covered more. Thanks.
Provides clear examples of real life situations. Well Done.
There was good chemistry between the two speakers, so that makes the course more interesting and fun.
Both Ethics, PHD, and Attorney very Knowledgeable
Very good
Interesting.
good program
Thanks
Eye-opening
Good presentation
Very informative
Thanks
I especially enjoyed the public relations persons insights.
Thank you.
good topic.
very good job
Excellent presentation
Fantastic course
Great job!!!
Good
The individuals were well spoken and well prepared
Great tips
Useful and well done.
good class
Great coverage of tricky ethics issues dealing with the press.
Interesting topic. Knowledge speakers.
very thoughtful and helpful in the age of media
Good
very interesting
Great advice
Excellent
I thought the presentation was fluid and excellent. Very good speakers.
I have been contacted by the press and had to navigate without much guidance. This primer would have been helpful then! Good info!
Interesting information - I never thought about these issues before. I am glad that I spent the time
This was a really good presentation even if most of us never talk to the press.
Good corse
well done and informative
Great course. Good, practical media advice and ethical guidance.
Informative
Good course
Both speakers were great!
One of the best on-line cle presentations I've seen.
Good blend of lawyer and non-lawyer faculty expertise.
Very god practical information on dealing with ads, media and ethics.
Well presented. The speakers did not pad the presentation by excessive reading of text and quotes. Nicely blended the practical and legal considerations. The restrictions by some states over the use of descriptions such as "specializing" was something I did not know.
Informative
Great advice on how to handle tricky situations in a way that can help your client and your legal career.
Informative video about an interesting topic.
Very timely course taught by knowledgeable faculty
Interesting topic with a great panel
Great practical advice and making sure that we don’t step out of bounds inadvertently.
good seminar
It is an important issue. The take away is that there is not one right answer.
Interesting practical advice
Excelllent & great delivery!
interesting course how to become an expert was something new I do speak to local press as counsel of record, so it helped me.
I thought this was going to be a very abstract, dry presentation but it was actually very well organized, planned and presented. I did learn some very useful things from this one.
Another great presentation.
Excellent presentation. Really like the format of two presenters. Good materials. Substantive presentation.
Good teamwork displayed by the two well-versed attorney speakers.
Exceeded expectations.
Great!
This video gave me a lot of food for thought re: the relationship of ethics vs. publicity. Great class!
This program is fantastic; both presenters were prepared, spoke to issues that concerned me, and covered a broad range of applicable, useful and practical topics.
Interesting and effective presentation.
Well done. Faculty interacted well, and were prepared with current, useful information.
I enjoyed having a two person panel.
Very interesting.
Excellent Program
Many good insights.
Interesting how this is partly about media and also attorney client relationship
excellent!
two very good speakers gave a good presentation on a most interesting subject all attorneys should be aware of
Excellent!
Good program
Great presenter!
Great information for all attorneys! Thank you!
Very informative! Surpassed expectations and was useful, one-stop source on this topic.
great presentation