COMMITTEE SPOTLIGHT

Law and the Media Committee

By Joy Sanders

The Law and the Media Committee was established in 1986 with the goal of encouraging dialogue and education between the legal and media professions. This year, the Committee is led by an attorney co-chair, Scott A. Durfee of the Harris County District Attorney's Office, and two media co-chairs, Phil Archer of KPRC TV and Mark Babineck of Argus Media, Inc. The membership is comprised of both attorneys and media and communication professionals.

Originally established as a project of the HBA Continuing Legal Education Committee, a primary function of the committee is planning and executing an annual Law and the Media seminar in coordination with the Society of Professional Journalists and the Houston Press Club. Each year, the seminar brings together lawyers, journalists, communication professionals, law students and journalism students. The program is offered free of charge to media professionals and students.

The 2010 seminar was held January 30 at South Texas College of Law, with nearly 90 individuals in attendance. The two-panel program focused on transparency in the courts and in government. Discussing transparency in the courts were Harris County District Attorney Patricia Lykos, Harris County District Clerk Loren Jackson, Houston Chronicle legal reporter Mary Flood, and moderating attorney Brian Wice. The second panel, exploring transparency in government, included FBI Special Agent Shauna Dunlap, Houston Chronicle investigative reporter Terri Langford, Texas Tribune reporter Matt Stiles, and moderator Alan Bernstein of the Harris Country Sheriff's Office. The seminar featured a keynote address entitled "Forensic Science Reform in Texas – Dead or Just Delayed?" presented by Austin attorney Samuel E. Bassett of Minton, Burton, Foster and Collins LLP, who once chaired the Texas Forensic Science Commission.

In addition to the Law and the Media Seminar, the committee also provides a bi-annual Media Training Program for HBA board members. The program involves a simulated press interview during which media representatives question board members on tape, and then critique their performance. The program is a lively and fun way for board members to hone their interviewing skills, while building relationships with print, radio and television media.

This year, the committee will continue its mission of fostering educational objectives at the intersection of law and media. This will be the 25th anniversary of the Law & the Media Seminar, and it has been set for Saturday, January 29, 2011 at South Texas College of Law. The committee is already working on discussing topics and speakers.

Co-chair Scott Durfee notes that "[t]he committee has done a great deal over the years in helping to find common ground between the often adversarial professions of law and journalism. I am proud to have the opportunity to advance the committee's work in developing lines of communication between legal and media professionals, educating each other on professional standards, and increasing mutual respect and trust between our respective communities."

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