Challenge

After the U.S. Supreme Court in June 2022 overturned nearly five decades of precedent protecting the right to abortion, organizations and individuals faced a critical communications dilemma: whether—and how—to weigh in on a controversial ruling with profound legal ramifications that was igniting furious and emotional debate across an already divided nation.

In the days that followed, more than 2,500 female lawyers signed an open letter published in The American Lawyer that denounced the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Signatories also committed to providing pro bono legal services to organizations that support women’s access to reproductive healthcare, including abortion.

One male partner at global law firm Eversheds Sutherland was so moved by the pledge—and personally outraged by the Supreme Court’s decision—that he felt called to act and show his support for the pledge his female colleagues had made. He drafted an open letter that expressed solidarity and encouraged other male lawyers to join in donating money and offering pro bono legal services to organizations that support reproductive healthcare.

The lawyer intended to publish and distribute the letter himself, and was on the cusp of reaching out to The American Lawyer when the firm’s Director of Communications & PR got wind of the plan. While the letter was coming from the lawyer personally, it would difficult, if not impossible, to separate his action as an individual from any position the firm might take on the issue.

The communications director, while empathetic, knew an extra level of care and attention was required to navigate this sensitive topic. She immediately brought Greentarget in as a trusted advisor to provide counsel and support.

Approach

Greentarget’s account team connected with the partner to understand his perspective and goals for this letter. We also provided support to the firm’s communications team as they navigated internal politics around the issue.

Greentarget’s Content & Editorial team was quickly brought in to review and lightly edit the letter, ensuring that it was constructed so readers couldn’t take his words out of context. Within 24 hours, the letter was nearly ready for publication.

Next, we contacted the editor-in-chief of The American Lawyer to gauge her interest in running the piece. We made the strategic decision to reach out directly to the editor, instead of to a reporter, due to the high-profile nature of the topic and because the outlet had previously published the women’s letter that inspired this effort. That route yielded a quick response and agreement to run the letter.

Greentarget advised on a timeline for distribution of the letter via email to potential signatories – driven by the partner’s personal list of contacts – and created a process for collecting and updating signatures once the letter was live.

On June 30, the Eversheds Sutherland partner sent the letter to his contacts via email and LinkedIn, urging them to share and sign the letter.

Results

The letter generated a powerful response across the legal industry. More than 1,000 male lawyers signed it by the time it published in The American Lawyer on July 1, and that number more than doubled before the week was done.

An effort that started with one partner tapping his own network snowballed, ultimately generating hundreds of responses from partners, non-partners, men and women who used their personal networks to spread the word. Positive reactions poured in, overwhelmingly expressing gratitude to the partner for providing a platform for individuals to express their support in a public forum.

The lawyers who signed the letter represented a range of law firms – small, mid-size and large – and even included in-house counsel, ultimately reaching more than 164 different firms. Some signatories came from firms with strict no comment policies on the topic, demonstrating the societal importance of this issue despite it being a complex one for firms to navigate.

This effort was a resounding success. Eversheds Sutherland appreciated Greentarget’s guidance in helping the partner express his point of view on such a highly sensitive topic, while keeping the firm’s reputation with clients and internal stakeholders intact.