*Disclaimer: We have experience working with law firms in Arizona and this guide is based on our experiences. We are not attorneys and we recommend that you connect with the state bar to fully understand the advertising ethical rules in Arizona*
For attorneys seeking to promote their services online, it is imperative to consult the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct. All law firms must adhere to the regulations and guidelines on Internet advertising outlined by the Arizona Bar. Non-compliance with these rules may result in disciplinary action or sanctions against the attorney.
Although Arizona's Bar Rules of Professional Conduct may be restrictive, they aim to ensure that all lawyers advertise their services truthfully. Despite the strict nature of the rules, it is still possible to advertise online effectively while complying with the regulations.
The links below outline Arizona's state bar rules governing attorney advertising. If you are planning to launch a new website or embark on a new internet marketing strategy, it is crucial to familiarize yourself with all applicable bar rules.
Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct:
State Bar Rule Guidelines for General Websites in Arizona
The Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct, specifically Rule 7.2, govern the advertising practices of attorneys and law firms, including those that involve electronic communication, online content, and advertising or marketing websites. All attorneys must adhere to these rules when creating a website for advertising or marketing purposes.
According to the bar rules, any advertising communication that suggests an attorney is responsible for the content on the website or advertisement must include the name of at least one attorney or law firm and their office address. This information must be presented clearly and prominently, with the same size, color, duration, cadence, contrast, location, and audibility that an average person can easily read, hear, notice, and comprehend.
Statements To Avoid on Attorney Websites in Arizona
Rule 7.1 of the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits attorneys from making or allowing others to make statements or communications that are knowingly false or misleading on their behalf.
The rule defines a communication or statement as misleading or false if it presents a material misrepresentation of the law or facts or fails to include a fact crucial for the statement to be considered accurate when evaluated.
Furthermore, the comments to Rule 7.1 indicate that even a truthful statement can be considered misleading if it omits a fact necessary to prevent it from being materially misleading. A truthful statement can also be deemed deceptive if it leads a reasonable person to form an unfounded conclusion about the lawyer's services.
Making false, misleading, or misdirect statements about your offered services, achieved results, or fees charged could also violate legal advertising regulations.
Overusing superlatives such as "the best," "the most," "highest," or "the lowest" in advertising may be viewed as deceptive. Although you may believe your law firm is the best, making statements that cannot be quantified might deceive prospective clients and potentially breach legal advertising rules.
An attorney may only refer to themselves as a "specialist" in a particular area of law in the following circumstances, as outlined by Rule 7.4 of the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct:
As long as the statement is truthful, lawyers can indicate on their website whether or not they practice in a particular area of law. Consequently, attorneys can often substitute the terms "focuses on" or "experienced in" for "specializes," "certified," or "specialist.
Using Past Case Results on Arizona Attorney Websites
In addition to regulating statements made by attorneys in general, Rule 7.1 of the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct addresses the issue of past case results discussed in the comments section.
While a truthful report of a lawyer's successful representation of a client may be accurate, it can still be considered misleading if potential clients interpret it to imply that they will receive the same results in their case, which may involve different facts or charges.
As a result, if an attorney chooses to display past case results on their website, it is essential to include a disclaimer in clear and prominent language or through other qualifying languages to clarify the limitations of such results.
Arizona Attorney Websites Disclaimer Rules
The Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct require attorneys to include a disclaimer or other qualifying language to prevent anyone from interpreting a statement as false or misleading.
Regarding advertising in Arizona, disclaimers must be clear and prominent, with the same size, color, duration, cadence, contrast, location, and audibility that an average person can easily read, hear, notice, and understand. Moreover, per the comments to Rule 7.2, a disclaimer cannot contradict or be inconsistent with any information presented in the advertisement.
Enhance Your Law Firm's Growth With Lab Coat Marketing
Arizona's state bar association established rules for attorneys' online behavior to ensure high ethical standards among lawyers. These rules cover attorney advertising, solicitation, client communication, and confidentiality. Lawyers who plan to launch a new website or internet marketing strategy must understand and follow these rules to avoid legal and ethical issues that can harm their reputation and credibility.
Attorneys must clearly state that any online advertising is an advertisement and not misleading. Rules also prohibit attorneys from soliciting clients via email or social media and revealing confidential client information online. Violating these rules can lead to disciplinary action such as fines, suspension, or disbarment. By teaming up with a knowledgeable marketing partner, you can stay ahead of the game and avoid unethical competition.
At Lab Coat Marketing, we dedicate extensive time and resources to researching cutting-edge marketing strategies tailored to meet the unique needs of your law firm. Our marketing approach is grounded in science, leveraging data-driven insights to develop effective strategies. If you want to enhance your law firm's marketing efforts, we encourage you to reach out and schedule a call.
Our client's success is extremely important to us. We work day and night to truly understand the nuances of each of our client's law firms to develop the right marketing strategy for them.
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Lab Coat Marketing was started with the intention of bringing truth to the digital marketing industry. Many law firms need a marketing partner that will look out for their business and approach marketing from the global perspective to make sure they are generating new clients and getting a good overall return on their marketing investment.
*We don't have a sales team, so don't worry about being spammed.
