Establish a joint working protocol with outside counsel for approving public statements.
Public Relations & Media
Litigation Public Relations During Active Legal Disputes
Coordinate communication strategy with legal counsel during active litigation, from filing to verdict, without compromising the legal case or public trust.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
A legal team focused on winning a case and a communication team focused on protecting reputation can end up working against each other unless someone builds the bridge between them early, and litigation public relations is that bridge. This course works through the practical coordination needed once a dispute becomes active: establishing a joint protocol with outside counsel that clarifies who drafts, who approves and who has final sign-off on any public statement, and understanding, at a working level, why lawyers restrict comment while a matter is before a court. Participants prepare statement templates for each stage of a dispute, from the filing of a claim through preliminary hearings to a verdict or settlement, so the organisation is never left improvising outside a courtroom. The course covers the practical logistics of courtroom communication, including media pools, overflow rooms and managing a press scrum on the courthouse steps, alongside briefing witnesses and executives on media conduct during a trial they do not control. It closes with planning for outcomes on both sides of a verdict, preparing statements for a favourable result, an unfavourable one and a settlement, so nothing is drafted for the first time under pressure with cameras already rolling.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Explain, at a working level, why active litigation restricts what can be said publicly.
Draft holding statements for each stage of a dispute, from filing to verdict or settlement.
Manage courtroom communication logistics, including media pools and overflow arrangements.
Brief witnesses and executives on media conduct during a trial they do not control.
Prepare statements in advance for a favourable verdict, an unfavourable verdict and a settlement.
Monitor and report media and social coverage of a dispute without commenting on active proceedings.
Who Should Attend
In-house communication professionals supporting a company through active litigation.
PR agency consultants advising clients involved in legal disputes or investigations.
General counsel and legal teams who coordinate with communications during a case.
Corporate affairs officers preparing executives for media exposure during a trial.
Crisis communication specialists extending their practice into litigation contexts.
Communication leads at organisations facing regulatory or class action proceedings.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Building the Legal-Communications Relationship
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Establishing a Joint Protocol with Counsel
- Agree with outside counsel who drafts, who reviews and who gives final approval on statements.
- Set response timelines that satisfy media deadlines without breaching legal caution.
- Clarify which communication channels, including social media, fall under the same review process.
- Build a shared glossary so legal and communication teams use consistent terms about the case.
Session 2Understanding the Legal Constraints on Comment
- Explain, in working terms, why counsel may restrict comment while a matter is active before a court.
- Identify categories of statement, such as apology or admission, that carry particular legal risk.
- Recognise when silence itself becomes a communication choice that needs active management.
- Escalate a proposed statement for urgent legal review before it reaches a journalist.
02Preparing Statements Across the Dispute
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Drafting for Filing, Hearings and Developments
- Draft an initial holding statement for use when a claim or investigation becomes public.
- Prepare short factual updates for use at preliminary hearings without pre-judging the outcome.
- Coordinate statement timing with the organisation's disclosure obligations to regulators or markets.
- Prepare internal briefings so employees hear the organisation's position before external media do.
Session 2Verdict and Settlement Statement Planning
- Draft parallel statements for a favourable verdict, an unfavourable verdict and a settlement.
- Agree in advance who delivers the verdict-day statement and where it will be delivered.
- Plan messaging that respects confidentiality terms in a settlement while still addressing coverage.
- Prepare a plan for next steps, including appeal statements, before a verdict is announced.
03Managing Courtroom and Media Logistics
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Courtroom and Courthouse Media Management
- Coordinate media pool arrangements and overflow rooms for high-interest hearings.
- Plan safe, controlled routes for executives and witnesses entering and leaving the courthouse.
- Manage a press scrum on courthouse steps without appearing to comment on live proceedings.
- Liaise with court press officers on accreditation, seating and permitted recording.
Session 2Briefing Witnesses and Executives
- Brief witnesses on media conduct rules that apply to them personally during a trial.
- Coach executives on maintaining composure when approached by media outside proceedings.
- Set boundaries for what an executive may say informally, even when off the record is offered.
- Prepare a support plan for individuals facing sustained personal media attention during a case.
04Monitoring and Long-Term Reputation Management
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Monitoring Coverage Without Commenting
- Track media and social coverage of a dispute to identify emerging narratives early.
- Distinguish factual reporting errors that warrant correction from commentary best left unanswered.
- Report coverage trends to leadership and counsel without drawing them into public response.
- Identify when a third party's commentary requires the organisation's own clarifying statement.
Session 2Rebuilding Reputation After Resolution
- Plan a reputation recovery communication approach once a dispute is fully resolved.
- Decide how much post-resolution detail to share with employees, customers and investors.
- Review the litigation communication process with legal counsel to capture lessons for future disputes.
- Update statement templates and protocols based on what worked during the resolved case.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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