The framework: Model Rules 7.1 through 7.5
Almost every state builds its advertising rules on the same five ABA Model Rules. Knowing what each one covers is enough to keep the vast majority of marketing clean. Here's the plain-language version:
Rule 7.1: No false or misleading communications
The master rule. A statement is misleading if it's untrue, omits a fact needed to keep it from misleading, or creates an unjustified expectation about results. Everything else is really a specific application of this.
Rule 7.2: Advertising is allowed, with limits
You can advertise through any media. You generally can't give anything of value for a recommendation (with exceptions like reasonable ad costs and compliant lead generation), and ads must identify a responsible lawyer or firm.
Rule 7.3: Solicitation
Restricts live, person-to-person solicitation of a specific person who needs legal help when money is a significant motive. General advertising to the public is not solicitation and is permitted.
Rule 7.4: Fields of practice and specialization
You can say which fields you practice. You generally can't claim to be a 'specialist' or 'certified specialist' unless certified by an approved organization that you name.
Rule 7.5: Firm names and letterhead
Firm names and letterhead can't be false or misleading (for example, implying a partnership that doesn't exist or a connection with a government agency).
Note that the 2018 amendments to the Model Rules reorganized some of this (folding parts of 7.4 and 7.5 into 7.2), and states adopted those changes unevenly. So the numbering differs from state to state even though the substance is broadly consistent. Work from the substance, then confirm the specifics with your bar.
The lines you can't cross
Most bar complaints about advertising come down to a handful of recurring mistakes. Here's what to avoid, and what to do instead.
Guarantee or imply an outcome
"We win every case," "guaranteed settlement," "we'll get your charges dropped." Anything that creates an unjustified expectation about results violates Rule 7.1 in essentially every state. This is the most common serious violation.
Describe experience and results with a disclaimer
You can talk about your experience and, in most states, past results, paired with a disclaimer that results depend on the facts of each case and prior results don't guarantee a similar outcome. Keep that disclaimer on every page and ad that carries a result.
Call yourself a specialist without certification
"Personal injury specialist" or "DUI expert" without an approved certification you name. This trips up firms constantly.
Say you "focus on" or "practice" the area
"We focus on personal injury" or "our practice is family law" communicates the same thing and is fine. If you do hold a recognized certification, name the certifying organization.
Reveal client information in review responses
Replying to a negative review by explaining "what really happened" in the case. The duty of confidentiality is not waived just because the client posted first. Lawyers have been disciplined for exactly this.
Respond professionally and generically
Thank positive reviewers briefly. For a negative review, respond professionally without confirming the person was a client or discussing the matter, and offer to talk offline.
Testimonials, reviews, and disclaimers
Reviews and testimonials are some of the most valuable marketing a firm has, and also where the rules bite. The 2018 Model Rule amendments actually loosened the testimonial rules at the ABA level, but many states kept stricter versions, so this is one area where the state-by-state variation is real.
The safe defaults that hold up in most states: a testimonial can't be false or misleading; if it references a result, pair it with the standard disclaimer that results depend on the facts of each case; don't present actors as real clients without disclosure; and never let a review or its response expose confidential client information. Genuine reviews from real clients, presented honestly with the right disclaimer, are both compliant and persuasive. That's the goal. See how to build reviews inside the rules.
Practice-area rules that go beyond the basics
Some practice areas carry extra advertising requirements on top of the general rules. A few worth knowing:
- 1
Personal injury
The most scrutinized corner of legal advertising, because it's the most aggressive. Some states impose extra rules on injury advertising specifically, and outcome-claim and testimonial disclaimers get enforced most actively here. See personal injury marketing.
- 2
Bankruptcy
Federal law (11 U.S.C. §528) requires firms that qualify as "debt relief agencies" to include a specific disclosure in their advertising, generally along the lines of "We are a debt relief agency. We help people file for bankruptcy relief under the Bankruptcy Code." This is a federal requirement on top of state bar rules. See bankruptcy marketing.
- 3
Immigration
The trust issue here is the "notario" problem: in the US a notary is not a lawyer, and advertising can't imply otherwise. Clear "licensed attorney" positioning is both compliant and a genuine competitive advantage. See immigration marketing.
- 4
Criminal defense and DUI
High stakes and a vulnerable audience mean outcome claims draw complaints fast. Market hard on visibility and credibility, never on a promised result. See criminal defense marketing.
This isn't the full list, and the specifics change by state. It's a reminder that "compliant" isn't one rule; it's a checklist that shifts a little by practice area and a lot by jurisdiction.
How we keep marketing compliant by default
Knowing the rules is one thing; building them into everything you publish is another. Here's how compliance actually shows up in the work, rather than as a lawyer having to review every line after the fact.
- 1
Compliant copy from the first draft
No guarantees, no unjustified expectations, no uncertified specialist claims. The writers know the lines, so the copy doesn't have to be walked back later.
- 2
Disclaimers where results and testimonials live
The results-depend-on-the-facts disclaimer sits on every page and ad that carries a result or a review, kept current as pages change.
- 3
A review system that respects confidentiality
Requests worded to stay inside the rules, and response templates that never reveal client information, even to a hostile review.
- 4
A check against your state's specifics
Because Florida, New York, Texas, and others go beyond the Model Rules, we align the work to your jurisdiction rather than a generic national template.
You can be aggressive and compliant at the same time
The thing to take away is that none of this stops you from marketing hard. The rules don't say you have to be quiet or modest. They say you can't lie, can't mislead, and can't promise what you can't deliver. Inside those lines there's enormous room to be the most visible, most credible, most responsive firm in your market, which is where the real competition happens anyway.
The firms that get in trouble are almost never the ones being too aggressive on visibility. They're the ones who let a generalist agency (or their own quick ad) slip in a guarantee, a "specialist" claim, or a review response that says too much. Get the compliance right once, build it into the system, and then compete as hard as you want. See how the full program comes together.
A quick compliance gut-check
Three things worth doing whether you work with us or not.
Audit your current site and ads
Search your own pages and ads for guarantees, "specialist," and results without a disclaimer. Those three catch most problems. Fix them first.
Read your state's rules, not just the Model Rules
Your state bar publishes its advertising rules. If you're in Florida, New York, or Texas especially, they go further than the national baseline.
Get a compliance-aware read on your marketing
Send your firm name, practice area, and city. We'll show you where you stand competitively, with marketing that's built to stay inside your bar's rules.
This article is general marketing guidance, not legal advice, and it doesn't create an attorney-client relationship. Advertising rules vary by state and change over time. Confirm the specifics with your state bar or your own ethics counsel before relying on anything here.