Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: Offering a Prize to Join Attorney’s Social Networking Sites Digest of the Committee: The Rules of Professional Conduct do not prohibit an attorney from offering a prize to join the attorney’s social network as long as the prize offer is not illegal, but if the primary purpose of the prize […]
Lawyers Cannot Misrepresent Their Amount of Experience, Kinds of Expertise, Availability of Locations and the Like in Their Websites, Even if the Website is Up Only for a Short Time On May 9, 2011, the South Carolina Supreme Court issued a decision in which it publicly reprimanded a lawyer, imposing a fine of $1,000, and […]
Professional Ethics Committee for the State Bar of Texas Topic: “Under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, may the remaining lawyers in a law firm continue to use, in the name of their firm, the name of a lawyer who left the firm to practice independently from the firm and who has consented to […]
Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: Attorney Newsletters; Advertisement Digest of the Committee: Whether a publication by a lawyer or law firm is an ‘advertisement’ depends on its content, its intended purpose, and the targeted audience. With certain exceptions, if a publication is an advertisement, it must be labeled ‘Attorney Advertising,’ and if it makes certain […]
Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility – Formal Opinion 10-457 Topic: Lawyer Websites “Websites have become a common means by which lawyers communicate with the public. Lawyers must not include misleading information on websites, must be mindful of the expectations created by the website, and must carefully manage inquiries invited through the website. Websites that […]
South Carolina Lawyer 8 (July 2010) The author discusses a number of cases dealing with lawyers’ advertising through old means, like newspapers, as well as newer ones, like the web. Referenced Authority: Bates v. Arizona State Bar, 433 U.S. 350 (1977) Alexander v. Cahill, 598 F.3d 79 (2d Cir. 2010) Central Hudson Gas & Elec. […]
Topic: Using Stock Photographs in Advertising From the Opinion “Opinion rules that a dramatization disclaimer is not required when using a stock photograph in an advertisement so long as, in the context of the advertisement, the stock photograph is not materially misleading.” The full text can be found at: http://www.ncbar…
Topic: Information on Verdicts, Settlements, and Memberships on a Lawyers’ Website From the Opinion “Opinion rules that a website may include a case summary sectionshowcasing successful verdicts and settlements if the section contains factually accurate information accompanied by an appropriate disclaimer and that any reference on the website to membership in an organization with a self-laudatory name […]
The New York City Bar Committee on Professional Ethics prepared a series of common questions regarding New York’s lawyer advertising and solicitation rules that were adopted within the past few years and included in the Rules of Professional Conduct that became effective in April 2009. The full text is available at http://www.nycbar.org…
Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: Lawyers Referrals of Clients Digest of the Committee: E-mails to other lawyers requesting referrals of clients are not ‘solicitations’ regulated by Rule 7.3. However, the e-mails must comply with Rules 7.4 and 8.4(c). Rules: New York Rules of Professional Conduct 1.0(a), 1.5(g), 7.1, 7.3, 7.3(b), 7.4, 8.4(c) The full text is […]