"If you or a loved one has been in a car crash, pick up the phone and call now."
Those are the words on many late-night TV advertisements. And sometimes they’re presented with ambulance sounds, pictures of wrecks and characters like Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley, Jim Adler “The Texas Hammer” and Jim “The Hammer” Shapiro.
In this story, guest host Sean Cole dives into the subterranean thicket of legal advertising and regulation. He explores its different eras, factions and speaks with people debating whether tacky lawyer ads bring down the profession or make it more accessible.
This story originally aired on the Life of the Law podcast.