And who pays the lawyer?
Major pro bono matters, or smaller cases with great
human interest, are far more likely to receive extensive
coverage. Holland & Knight, for example, received highly
favorable and extensive coverage of its work in the
Rosewood case, including a glowing front page, above the
fold, article in the Wall Street Journal and People.
Hogan & Hartson, similarly, received a great deal of
play in the media concerning its representation of
African-American plaintiffs alleging that Denny’s
restaurants had discriminated against them. In both
instances, the firms undertook these time-consuming,
controversial cases because it was the right thing to
do. However, their creative, successful lawyering
became a front-page story.