By Advocate.com Editors

Originally published on Advocate.com March 15 2001 1:00 AM ET

The American Lawyers Public Image Association has come out against NBC’s upcoming new show, First Years. Deeming the lawyer dramedy as “a disservice to the entire legal profession and, ultimately, to the general public as well,” ALPIA national director Nader Anise claims, “Lawyers just can’t catch a break.” It is perhaps the network’s stated intent to portray lawyers as “bottom feeders” and “appropriately screwed up” that ALPIA finds most upsetting. Anise adds, “At the very least, we’d like to see a disclaimer aired before every show.” So far the presence of a gay lawyer character (portrayed by Mackenzie Astin) has not provoked any specific complaints, but stay tuned.