Public and Professional Assessment of the Nebraska Bar

Watching Watergate unfold, public confidence in the bar descended to an all-time low in 1974, according to public opinion polls. Coincidentally, the Nebraska State Bar Association launched a public relations campaign designed to advise the public of active efforts to hold attorneys to the standards of the Code of Professional Responsibility. In an attempt to assess the status of the profession in Nebraska, a survey was conducted to compare opinions of the bar as they were expressed by lawyers and laypersons. Questions contained in the survey reflected concerns central to five of the Canons of Professional Responsibility. I. Introduction II. Methodology III. Discussion … Canon 1: A lawyer should assist in maintaining the integrity and competence of the legal profession … Canon 2: A lawyer should assist the legal profession in fulfilling its duty to make legal counsel available … A. Fees … B. Selection of an Attorney … Canon 8: A lawyer should assist in improving the legal system … A. Education … B. Lawyer Discipline IV. Conclusion Appendix A: Lawyers’ Questionnaire: Public Confidence in the Bar Appendix B: Laymen Questionnaire: Public Confidence in the Bar