Attorneys are no longer confined to print ads in the Sunday paper & late night T.V. commercials. The Internet & social media have opened an entirely new online landscape for attorneys to advertise their services & law firms – but this new electronic terrain presents new ethical challenges.
“In a wreck, need a check?,” attorneys with sledgehammers, a “healthy dose of Dic,” monster trucks & guns. As attorneys that help lawyers with websites & online marketing, Desire’e Martinelli & Jeff Lantz have seen these numerous attorneys violate the rules of professional conduct with their online advertising. They are here to keep your conduct ethical in your YouTube vidoes, Facebook posts & PPC advertising. Primary subject covered: tips to avoid common ethical pitfalls, the consequences & penalties of unethical online advertising, and the best practices & plan when advertising online. Additional topics: using disclaimers, testimonial, making promises, required notifications, misleading ads, confidentiality issues, unjustified expectations, comparative statements, truthfulness & accuracy, case law, creating an ethical compliance plan and tools & resources. Ethical Rules addressed: Rule 1.6: Confidentiality, Rule 7.1: Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services, Rule 5.5: Unauthorized Practice of Law and Rule 8.4: Third-Party Violations.
Desire’e Martinelli is an attorney and the Director of Marketing & Analytics of Esquire Interactive LLC. Jeff Lantz is an attorney, entrepreneur and the CEO of Esquire Interactive LLC, an interactive digital marketing agency for attorneys and law firms.