Lawyers involved in high-profile cases have a lot to worry about. The last thing they need is a flurry of phone calls from reporters—or having to deal with media camped outside their client’s headquarters. They don’t have time to follow tweets from some blogger who has decided to make a cause out of their case. Most of all, they don’t need distractions.
But media coverage matters: It can influence the outcome of cases, whether it’s a murder trial or corporate warfare in Delaware Chancery Court. Judges care about their reputations and the public’s perception of the justice system and want to know how their cases are being covered. Jurors—in spite of instructions not to do so—often follow media coverage of cases they hear. Seasoned trial lawyers know this, and they know it won’t change.
