Definition
Lawyer advertising rules are the ethics rules that govern how US lawyers promote their services. Based on ABA Model Rules 7.1 to 7.3 and adopted state by state, they allow advertising in any medium if it is truthful and not misleading, names a responsible lawyer, and pays no one for a recommendation.
In plain English
For most of the 20th century, bar rules treated advertising as unethical. Bates v. State Bar of Arizona (1977) ended blanket bans: truthful advertising of routine legal services is protected by the First Amendment, while "advertising that is false, deceptive, or misleading of course is subject to restraint."
Rule 7.1 bans false or misleading communications everywhere, from paid ads to bios, posts, and firm names. A true statement still misleads if it omits a needed fact, quotes past results without context, or makes a comparison you cannot prove.
Rule 7.2 allows "any media" if you pay no one for a recommendation beyond the reasonable cost of ads and a few listed exceptions, claim certification only with a named, accredited certifier, and name at least one responsible lawyer or firm with contact information.
States add their own layer. Florida requires filing each non-exempt ad at least 20 days before first use, and Texas within 10 days after first use. Since January 1, 2026, California ads must name a California lawyer or firm and the city or county of a real office. New York dropped its "Attorney Advertising" label on June 1, 2026.
Advertising speaks to the public. Solicitation targets a specific person known to need help and falls under the stricter Rule 7.3.
For a law firm
A business law firm in Dallas runs Google Ads on "business sale lawyer Dallas." The ad states its consultation fee, links to a practice area page, and promises no result: lawful advertising to the public. Texas adds two steps: the ad names the responsible lawyer's primary practice location, and the firm files it with the State Bar of Texas within 10 days after first use.
The firm cannot claim "fees 30% lower than any firm in Dallas" without proof, since an unsubstantiated comparison misleads. Outreach is judged by its target: a mailing to every business owner in the county is advertising, an email to one CEO the firm knows was just sued is a targeted solicitation that Texas requires to be filed, and a live call to that CEO for a fee is banned outside the Rule 7.3 exceptions.
The Hendy figure
Across the law firms we have worked with since 2024, 68% have activated at least one digital advertising channel (paid search, LinkedIn Ads, display), compared with about 40% in 2020.
Each new channel is one more place where the rules apply, down to a 30-character search ad headline.
Key takeaways
- Lawyers may advertise in any medium if each message is truthful and not misleading (Rule 7.1).
- Name a responsible lawyer, pay no one for recommendations, and claim certification only with a named certifier (Rule 7.2).
- States add filing, labels, and disclosures, and Florida's rules reach any lawyer who targets ads at Florida residents.
- Soliciting a specific person falls under the stricter Rule 7.3.