Definition
Client testimonials are statements by clients about a lawyer's services, shown on a website, in ads, or as online reviews. US rules allow them if they are truthful and not misleading, never fabricated or paid for, and if the firm has the client's informed consent before publishing anything about the matter (ABA Model Rule 1.6).
In plain English
Social proof weighs heavily in legal services: Avvo says its research shows that nearly 70% of legal consumers consider reviews the single most helpful thing they look at when searching for an attorney. The Model Rules allow testimonials that are not misleading, but two duties shape what they may say.
The first is confidentiality. Rule 1.6 protects all information relating to the representation, not only privileged communications, and ABA Formal Opinion 480 (2018) applies it "whatever its source," even to a public court record. Naming the client, the dispute, the outcome, or the amount requires the client's informed consent. Feedback on clarity, availability, or honesty about the odds needs none of those details.
The second is truthfulness. Results need enough context that readers do not expect the same outcome (Rule 7.1). Florida goes further: a testimonial cannot be written by the lawyer, given in exchange for something of value, unrepresentative of what clients generally experience, or published without a disclaimer that results may differ (Rule 4-7.13(b)(9)).
The FTC adds its own layer. Since October 21, 2024, its rule on consumer reviews and testimonials (16 CFR Part 465) has banned fake and AI-generated reviews, paying for positive or negative reviews, undisclosed employee reviews, and review suppression. Google bans incentives for any review and forbids asking only happy clients. The same limits apply to the Google reviews you request.
For a law firm
An employment law firm in Orlando wants to showcase its wrongful termination work. Instead of posting "We won a large settlement for Mark T., fired without cause," it collects testimonials such as: "My lawyer guided me through a complex process with real clarity. I valued her availability and her honesty about my chances." That feedback keeps the matter confidential while serving the firm's advertising. As a Florida firm, it adds the disclaimer that results may differ.
When a client agrees to be named, the firm records that informed consent and keeps the text to the quality of the work, not the facts of the case. It asks every client the same way, offers nothing in return, and lets no one on staff post a review. Shown next to its Google rating, these testimonials strengthen the trust side of E-E-A-T without exposing the firm to a bar grievance.
The Hendy figure
Across the law firms we work with, 78% of the client testimonials first submitted mention details covered by confidentiality (type of dispute, outcome, amounts) and must be rewritten before publication.
Under Rule 1.6, those details can stay only with the client's informed consent, and results only with enough context not to mislead.
Key takeaways
- Testimonials and reviews are allowed if truthful and not misleading; Florida adds conditions, including a disclaimer that results may differ.
- Rule 1.6 covers all information relating to the representation, even public records: get informed consent before naming the client, the matter, or the result.
- Never post fake, AI-generated, paid, or undisclosed employee reviews: ask every client the same way and offer nothing.
- Answer a negative review without revealing anything about the matter, in line with ABA Formal Opinion 496 (2021).