A recent event at a legal conference has become a topic of discussion. Making an unusual move, vendors at the conference chose to offer mini liquor bottles as booth giveaways. This might not seem noteworthy to some, however, the peculiar part was that these alcohol samples were made available as early as 10 a.m. From brands like Bacardi to Jack Daniels, a variety of miniature drinks were up for grabs at the vendor’s booth.
The intensity of this scenario weighs more considering the studies that illustrate the relationship between the legal profession and alcoholism. Over 20% of licensed attorneys qualify as alcoholics, reflecting that alcohol has been the “go-to” substance for a significant number in the legal fraternity. Regardless, attendees seemed somewhat reluctant to partake in morning drinking with the freebies initially seeing no takers.
However, as the day progressed, the number of bottles reduced, indicating some degree of interest from the conference attendees. By lunch time, all bottles had disappeared, subtly suggesting a preference for lunchtime drinking versus morning imbibing. Whilst the vendors might have found this an outside-the-box marketing strategy to lure in their audience, the question arises, is this a necessary addition to the legal conferences?
This incident brings up a significant concern about the widespread trend of alcohol usage that is prevalent within the legal profession. Even though the inclusion of alcoholic giveaways at a legal conference might seem like a clever marketing gimmick to some, it arguably raises serious questions about the appropriateness and ethics of such practices.