Ethics Opinions

Lawyer may participate in an online service for soliciting client reviews, NC Ethics Opinion states   Topic: participation in online service for soliciting client reviews   The Opinion “rules that, subject to certain conditions, a lawyer may participate in an online service for soliciting client reviews that collects and posts positive reviews to increase the lawyer’s […]

Lawyer may participate in an online rating system, NC Ethics Opinion states   Topic: participation in website directories and rating systems that include third party reviews   The Opinion “explains when a lawyer may participate in an online rating system, and a lawyer’s professional responsibility for the content posted on a profile on a website directory.” […]

North Carolina State Bar 2017 Formal Ethics Opinion 1   April 21, 2017 Topic: text message advertising The Opinion clarifies that lawyers may use the text message advertising that allows the user to initiate a live telephone communication, provided it complies with North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3, and all applicable federal […]

On June 21, 2017, the New Jersey Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, Committee on Attorney Advertising, and Committee on the Unauthorized Practice of Law opined that New Jersey lawyers may not participate in the Avvo legal service programs “because the programs improperly require the lawyer to share a legal fee with a nonlawyer”. The Committees […]

Topic: “Lawyers Participating in Impermissible Lawyer Referral Services and Providing Legal Services for Unregistered Legal Service Plans – Avvo, LegalZoom, Rocket Lawyer, and Similar Companies” From the Opinion In sum, the Committees find that the Avvo website offers an impermissible referral service, in violation of Rules of Professional Conduct 7.2(c) and 7.3(d), as well as […]

In Formal Opinion 2016-196, the California State Bar Ethics Committee dealt with the question of when a blog by a lawyer is subject to the ethics rules on advertising.  If a blog is integrated into a lawyer’s website, it will be treated as advertising.  A separate blog or blog post may or may not be […]

In November 2016, the DC Bar Legal Ethics Committee issued Ethics Opinion 370 (Social Media I) and 371 (Social Media II), which address the use of social media by lawyers for marketing and personal use and for providing legal services. The two opinions aim at increasing awareness of the ethical issues generating from the increasing use […]

Opinion No. 371 of the District of Columbia Bar’s Legal Ethics Committee   Topic: Social Media II, Use of Social Media in Providing Legal Services   Conclusion of the Committee: “Social media, like other technology applicable to the practice of law, will continue to change. The principles explained in this Opinion should be applied to […]

Opinion No. 370 of the District of Columbia Bar’s Legal Ethics Committee   Topic: Social Media I, Marketing and Personal Use   Conclusion of the Committee: “Social media is a constantly changing area of technology. Social media can be an effective tool for providing information to the public, for networking and for communications. However, using […]

Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility Committee Topic: attorneys participating in fixed fee limited scope legal services referral programs   The fixed-fee legal referral service works as follows: A for-profit business (the “Business”), which is not a law firm or lawyer-owned, assists in pairing up potential clients seeking certain legal services with lawyers who are willing […]