NBC in 2017, leading to his dismissal that November.

Farrow refuses to speculate whether Lauer could face legal repercussions for allegedly assaulting Nevils, but maintains that Nevils has "abided by a lot of scary legal restrictions that she is still under," including that she "cannot disparage the executives of NBC," as a term of her contract.

"Brooke Nevils' story is important: not just because it's serious in its own right," Farrow says. "It reveals, within this company, a reliance on secret settlements of the type that prevents her to this day from talking about NBC executives and what they knew."

More:Could Matt Lauer be prosecuted for an alleged rape in Russia in 2014? It's not likely

In the months following Lauer's exit, claims of sexual misconduct have been lodged against a slewto promote his law practice in Springfield, Ill., before becoming president. Early in the 20th century, though, most states enacted ethical rules which prohibited lawyer ads upon the theory that the "learned professions" such as law and medicine were far too dignified to allow such commercial behavior. But the 20th century also saw establishment of consumer protection laws, civil rights legislation availability of divorce, recognition of personal injury claims, and complicated interstate and international business activities which were vastly different than the legal issues of the land-based economy of preceding generations. Demand for legal services increased, and a whole lot of new law schools were established to meet that demand.

The ethical prohibitions on lawyer advertising continued in the face of a changing culture. If you needed a lawyer,