The public disliked both journalists and lawyers equally, the president of the Law Society, Mr Laurence K. Shields has said.
Relaunching the Justice Media Awards after a four-year gap, Mr Shields said: "At times you could be forgiven for thinking that the press and the legal profession have nothing in common, but of course that's not true. The public dislike us both equally!"
Many ties bound journalists and solicitors, he said, and he was not just talking about libel laws. Truth and reputation for all were important.
Mr Shields, speaking at the Law Society in Blackhall Place, Dublin, said human rights lawyers and outspoken journalists under many regimes had found themselves side by side on the lists compiled by the death squads.
"That's because both professions really do have something in common: they care about protecting the interests of justice and vindicating the rights of the people," he said.