The state Supreme Court of New Jersey amended Rule of Professional Conduct 7.1(a)(3) requires lawyers to include in ads the name of the rating service and a disclaimer saying, “No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court.” The recent change takes effect immediately and it allows lawyers to mention their inclusion in Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America or Martindale-Hubbell AV rankings.
The changes take effect immediately. November 5, 2009 [See notice to the bar.]
The justices pointed out that New Jersey lawyers will want to read the rule changes carefully before using or promoting their selection by any rating services to ensure that the ads are not misleading to the public. The bottom line is that the ratings services must make an inquiry into the attorney’s fitness. The award or honor may not be offered at a price. And the ads used must describe the rating services methodology, or at least tell the reader where the description can be found.
Tags: new jersey attorney advertising rules, New Jersey Lawyer Advertising Rules and Ethics SuperLaw, nj lawyer advertising rules
