Consumer attorneys warn 'billboard attorneys' are damaging public trust

SAN FRANCISCO - At their annual conference Friday, California consumer attorneys criticized "billboard attorneys" whose flashy advertisements, ostentatious social media posts, and displays of wealth they believe are damaging the public's perception of the legal profession.

"It's just one after the other," Andje Medina, a partner at Altair Law, said describing the number of billboards in Southern California. "Jurors are driving by these and see us as billboard people. It becomes our persona, and it damages our credibility," Medina told a panel.

Geoffrey S. Wells, the outgoing president of Consumer Attorneys of California, agreed and stressed the broader consequences.

"Social media, TV ads, and billboards flaunting private jets, luxury cars, and huge settlements tarnish the profession. The public starts to see us as greedy and self-serving. It makes it harder for lawyers who are doing the right thing to be taken seriously," he said.

Wells, a partner at Greene Broillet & Wheeler LLP, urged litigators at the conference to use peer pressure within the legal community to help rein in these excesses. He said attorneys should contact firms that post ostentatious or misleading ads and urge them to remove them.

"The first response is always, 'Everybody else is doing it too.' We're showing that it doesn't have to be this way. Peer pressure can work if everyone participates," he said.

"Social media and billboards are tools," Wells said. "Used poorly, they harm all of us. Used correctly, they can highlight the real work we do for people who need justice. That's the message we want the public to hear."

Wells also highlighted the importance of distinguishing between internal and external messaging. Sharing case victories with colleagues can foster camaraderie, but public-facing content that flaunts wealth or sensationalizes settlements risks alienating jurors, clients and legislators.

The CAOC conference was scheduled to last through Sunday at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco.