--- title: "Legal Caution vs. PR Clarity: University Presidents' Legal Advisors Muddled Congressional Testimonies" description: Yes, lawyers are important to a business. But so are communications experts. image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hubfs/shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/legal-caution-vs.-pr-clarity-university-presidents-legal-advisors-muddled-congressional-testimonies-on-antisemitism#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # Legal Caution vs. PR Clarity: University Presidents' Legal Advisors Muddled Congressional Testimonies December 19th, 2023 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg?width=1000&height=628&name=shutterstock_272153462%20copy.jpg) If I was going to trial, I’d hire a lawyer to advise me. And if I faced a PR crisis, I would hire a public relations team expert in crisis communications to advise me. So why the heck did the presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Penn hire lawyers to advise them when [they appeared before Congress](https://www.npr.org/2023/12/11/1218556147/heres-the-latest-fallout-at-harvard-mit-and-penn-after-the-antisemitism-hearing) to discuss antisemitism on campus when they should have had a public relations team instead? The leaders muddled through their testimony with wishy-washy answers to softball questions. Following the hearing Harvard President Claudine Gay, MIT President Sally Kornbluth and Penn President Elizabeth Magill were under intense scrutiny with Magill resigning her position. ## When lawyers get in the way At many larger organizations, the legal department is heavily involved in all marketing and communications initiatives, for example by requiring every blog post and press release to be vetted by a lawyer. Since legal people don't usually understand the media themselves (and don't use social media for business in their jobs), they naturally respond by just slapping on controls. After all, a lawyers’ job is to reduce risks within an organization, so it's temptingly simple to just follow their advice to find ways to duck questions or supply vague generalities. [It’s been reported](https://www.axios.com/2023/12/15/harvard-penn-mit-universities-pr-problems) that the university presidents relied on legal teams to lead the preparation for their Congressional hearing. It seems the primary driver was to limit exposure to legal risk rather than providing clear answers to the questions posed. When the university presidents offered vague answers about something as serious as antisemitism on campus, they were rightly called out. Yes, lawyers are important to a business. But so are communications experts. Getting nuances wrong can be costly for organizations, and in the case of these universities it can add up to millions in donations lost. *Disclosure: I wrote this post, but ChatGPT suggested the headline.* *[![New Call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/413105/e5b62938-97f3-40a1-9bc9-f10843b48ec1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/413105/e5b62938-97f3-40a1-9bc9-f10843b48ec1)*   [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Worst Practices ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/worst-practices) [ Public Relations ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/public-relations) [ Case Studies ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/case-studies) [ Media Relations ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/media-relations) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Pirated%20books.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=Pirated%20books.jpg) ### Move Fast and Steal Things: Meta Pirated 53 of My Books and Stories to Train Their AI March 26th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/move-fast-and-steal-things-meta-pirated-53-of-my-books-and-stories-to-train-their-ai) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Toyota%20website.jpg?width=1253&height=822&name=Toyota%20website.jpg) ### Automaker Website Frustrations Push Buyers Elsewhere December 10th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/automaker-website-frustrations-push-buyers-elsewhere) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg?width=1500&height=1125&name=Do%20not%20play%20Yamaha.jpg) ### Please Do Not Play Without Permission November 12th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/please-do-not-play-without-permission) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg?width=1338&height=886&name=Teen%20and%20Young%20Adult%20AI.jpg) ### Generative AI Not Understood By Young People… Educators Are To Blame July 9th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/generative-ai-not-understood-by-young-people-educators-are-to-blame) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg?width=1500&height=845&name=Crush%20Apple%20video.jpg) ### Apple’s Soul Crushing, Creator Destroying Metaphor for what AI is Doing to Society May 8th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/apples-soul-crushing-creator-destroying-metaphor-for-what-ai-is-doing-to-society) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_126631127.jpg?width=1500&height=999&name=shutterstock_126631127.jpg) ### Customer Testimonials Are Not Effective Storytelling March 26th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/customer-testimonials-are-not-effective-storytelling) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg?width=1000&height=670&name=we%20annoy%20our%20clients.jpg) ### We Annoy Our Customers March 5th, 2024|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/we-annoy-our-customers) [![Man holding a tablet computer with tip options](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/shutterstock_2328873613.jpg?width=1500&height=1000&name=shutterstock_2328873613.jpg) ### Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should October 19th, 2023|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/just-because-you-can-doesnt-mean-you-should) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/max%20logo%20win.jpg?width=925&height=621&name=max%20logo%20win.jpg) ### Max Mayhem: Warner Bros. 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