to imagine what that was like to live
under leaders without regard for the
justice system.
Members of the public, other
attorneys and judges noticed, and they
responded. So in 1991, Buchanan
presented his ad campaign to the
American Bar Association (ABA), under
the name of Primerus. He received
positive response and request for
reprints. ABA executives invited him
to Chicago to discuss producing similar
materials for the national organization.
Unfortunately, the ABA did not have
funding to back their interest. The
following year, the ABA sponsored its
first national Dignity in Advertising
competition, and the "Three Leaders"
advertisement took first place.
The advertising effort planted
the seeds which would result in the
founding of Primerus in September
1992. Meanwhile, Buchanan continued
to pursue his own ad campaign back in
Grand Rapids, and published a brochure
called "How to Judge an Attorney."
notice and wanted to be part of Primerus.
Word really spread when on July 15,
1993, The Wall Street Journal published
an article referring to Primerus as a "sort
of Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval
for lawyers."
A lawyer from Oklahoma, Fletcher
Handley, Jr., is among the lawyers who
read the article with interest.
"It sounded like something I would
like to be involved in," Handley said.
"The idea of an ethical organization
intent on restoring the image of the legal
profession appealed to me."
He joined Primerus and continues
to be involved today as a member of
the accreditation board. His hope for
the next 25 years is that Primerus
"remains what is was intended to be an
organization composed of the very best
lawyers, operating like
a world-wide boutique
law firm."
Al Ferris, founding
principal of Ferris &
the article.
"I had been growing more and more
concerned with certain developments in
the practice of law throughout the 1970s
and 1980s," Ferris said. "An article in
The Wall Street Journal about a lawyer in
Grand Rapids who was also concerned
caught my attention. He was trying to start
up an organization to turn things around."
He called Buchanan, who within days
was on a plane to California, along with
Primerus' first employee, Scott Roland.
Within weeks of their meeting, Ferris'
law firm joined Primerus. "What sold me
more than the `Good Housekeeping Seal
of Approval' was Jack's outlining of what
he thought the practice of law ought to be,
the principles of being a good lawyer,"
Ferris said.
In November 1994, Handley and
Ferris were among the dozen lawyers
who attended the first Primerus National
Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. The
annual event is now called the Primerus
Buchanan called "Three Leaders"
takes first place in the American Bar
Association's first Dignity in Lawyer
Advertising competition.
Primerus is officially created.
publishes an article referring to Primerus
as a "sort of Good Housekeeping Seal of
Approval for lawyers." Attorneys around
the United States take notice and reach
out to Buchanan.