A group that’s better known for antagonizing trial lawyers launched a campaign yesterday aimed at unifying the legal community and the public at large.

Maryland Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse held a news conference in front of the Baltimore City Circuit Court to highlight the large number of Marylanders who fail to show up for jury duty.

MDCALA also plans to launch a paid media campaign, distribute educational brochures on jury service, host speaking engagements and sponsor juror appreciation days, according to Todd Lamb, the group’s new executive director. Asked about the change in approach, Lamb said the jury campaign complements rather than replaces MDCALA’s overall strategy of drawing attention to frivolous lawsuits.

“We all lose when justice isn’t served, not just a few people,” Lamb said.

He was joined by Del. Tanya T. Shewell, R-Carroll, who said one way to deal with “runaway jury awards” is to make sure that juries are not composed exclusively of individuals who are unemployed, retired or hold government jobs.

Shewell sponsored a successful bill in the last General Assembly session to increase juror compensation from $15 to $50 after the fifth day of jury service.

A study by the General Assembly found Baltimore had a 63 percent no-show rate for jury duty last year, Lamb said. The same study also noted that most urban areas around the country have a 50 percent no-show rate.

He was also joined by Earnest Hines of American Skyline Insurance Co. in Baltimore, and Ellen Valentino, the state director of the Maryland chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business.