Firm Website
To: Supervising Attorney Jessica Gauvin
From: Paralegal Veronica Decker
Re: Security Protocols in the Law Office
Date: 04-26-2014
Attorney Gauvin,
The information that you requested in regards to the ethical rules about what is permissible to include in the website for the law firm. The law firm website must include the jurisdiction (state) in which s/he is licensed to practice. If the attorney fails to do so s/he has violated the ethical Rules 5.5: Unauthorized Practice of Law; Multijurisdictional Practice of Law and 7.1: Communication Concerning a Lawyer’s Services. For a lawyer to list a legal specialty on the webpage it all depends on the laws in the state in which s/he lives in and if they passed the bar exam. Rule 7.1: Communication Concerning a Lawyer’s Services states that a lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading. The same goes for stating that s/he is a personal injury litigator.
You are unable to list famous clients or well-known cases that you have worked on, on the website. Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Information states that (a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation or the disclosure is permitted by paragraph (b). However, Rule 7.2: Advertising – Comment [2] states that it permits public dissemination of information such as names of references and, with their consent, names of clients regularly represented; and other information that might invite the attention of those seeking legal assistance. If you can get the consent from former clients to list them on your
From: Paralegal Veronica Decker
Re: Security Protocols in the Law Office
Date: 04-26-2014
Attorney Gauvin,
The information that you requested in regards to the ethical rules about what is permissible to include in the website for the law firm. The law firm website must include the jurisdiction (state) in which s/he is licensed to practice. If the attorney fails to do so s/he has violated the ethical Rules 5.5: Unauthorized Practice of Law; Multijurisdictional Practice of Law and 7.1: Communication Concerning a Lawyer’s Services. For a lawyer to list a legal specialty on the webpage it all depends on the laws in the state in which s/he lives in and if they passed the bar exam. Rule 7.1: Communication Concerning a Lawyer’s Services states that a lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading. The same goes for stating that s/he is a personal injury litigator.
You are unable to list famous clients or well-known cases that you have worked on, on the website. Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Information states that (a) A lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent, the disclosure is impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation or the disclosure is permitted by paragraph (b). However, Rule 7.2: Advertising – Comment [2] states that it permits public dissemination of information such as names of references and, with their consent, names of clients regularly represented; and other information that might invite the attention of those seeking legal assistance. If you can get the consent from former clients to list them on your