Yes, lawyers are generally allowed to advertise on third-party websites, subject to the advertising rules and regulations set by their respective state bar associations and the American Bar Association (ABA) Model Rules of Professional Conduct. These rules are in place to protect the public from false or misleading advertisements and ensure that legal services are promoted ethically.
It is crucial for lawyers to adhere to the specific advertising rules in their jurisdiction, as they can vary from state to state. Some general guidelines that apply to lawyer advertising on third-party websites include:
- Truthfulness and accuracy: Lawyer advertisements should not be false, misleading, or deceptive. They must accurately represent the lawyer’s qualifications, experience, and the services provided.
- Identification as an advertisement: In many jurisdictions, it is required that lawyer advertisements be clearly identified as such, to avoid confusion.
- Disclosures and disclaimers: Depending on the jurisdiction, certain disclosures or disclaimers may be required in lawyer advertisements, such as noting that past results do not guarantee future outcomes or that the featured lawyer is responsible for the content of the advertisement.
- Proper use of testimonials and endorsements: Testimonials and endorsements may be allowed, but they must not be misleading, and lawyers generally cannot pay for them, unless the payment is disclosed.
- Recordkeeping: Some jurisdictions may require lawyers to keep records of their advertisements, including copies of the advertisements themselves and information about where and when they were published.
When advertising on third-party websites, lawyers should carefully review the advertising rules and regulations in their jurisdiction and ensure that their ads comply with these guidelines. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action from the state bar association.
If you have questions or concerns, it is best to reach out to your specific state bar association. Below is a list of the contact information for all 50 state bar associations, along with Washington D.C. Please note that some state bar associations may have multiple offices or locations, so it’s essential to verify the contact information before reaching out. This information was accurate as of May 8 2023.
- Alabama State Bar Website: https://www.alabar.org/ Phone: (334) 269-1515 Address: 415 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36104
- Alaska Bar Association Website: https://alaskabar.org/ Phone: (907) 272-7469 Address: 840 K Street, Suite 100, Anchorage, AK 99501
- State Bar of Arizona Website: https://www.azbar.org/ Phone: (602) 252-4804 Address: 4201 N. 24th Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85016-6266
- Arkansas Bar Association Website: https://www.arkbar.com/ Phone: (501) 375-4606 Address: 2224 Cottondale Lane, Little Rock, AR 72202
- State Bar of California Website: http://www.calbar.ca.gov/ Phone: (415) 538-2000 Address: 180 Howard Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
- Colorado Bar Association Website: https://www.cobar.org/ Phone: (303) 860-1115 Address: 1290 Broadway, Suite 1700, Denver, CO 80203
- Connecticut Bar Association Website: https://www.ctbar.org/ Phone: (860) 223-4400 Address: 30 Bank Street, New Britain, CT 06051
- Delaware State Bar Association Website: https://www.dsba.org/ Phone: (302) 658-5279 Address: 405 N. King Street, Suite 100, Wilmington, DE 19801
- District of Columbia Bar Website: https://www.dcbar.org/ Phone: (202) 737-4700 Address: 901 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001-2776
- The Florida Bar Website: https://www.floridabar.org/ Phone: (850) 561-5600 Address: 651 E. Jefferson Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-2300
- State Bar of Georgia Website: https://www.gabar.org/ Phone: (404) 527-8700 Address: 104 Marietta St. NW, Suite 100, Atlanta, GA 30303
- Hawaii State Bar Association Website: https://hsba.org/ Phone: (808) 537-1868 Address: 1100 Alakea Street, Suite 1000, Honolulu, HI 96813
- Idaho State Bar Website: https://isb.idaho.gov/ Phone: (208) 334-4500 Address: P.O. Box 895, Boise, ID 83701
- Illinois State Bar Association Website: https://www.isba.org/ Phone: (217) 525-1760 Address: 424 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62701
- Indiana State Bar Association Website: https://www.inbar.org/ Phone: (317) 639-5465 Address: 1 Indiana Square, Suite 530, Indianapolis, IN 46204
- Iowa State Bar Association Website: https://www.iowabar.org/ Phone: (515) 243-317
- Kansas Bar Association Website: https://www.ksbar.org/ Phone: (785) 234-5696 Address: 1200 SW Harrison St., Topeka, KS 66612-1806
- Kentucky Bar Association Website: https://www.kybar.org/ Phone: (502) 564-3795 Address: 514 W. Main St., Frankfort, KY 40601-1812
- Louisiana State Bar Association Website: https://www.lsba.org/ Phone: (504) 566-1600 Address: 601 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130-3404
- Maine State Bar Association Website: https://www.mainebar.org/ Phone: (207) 622-7523 Address: 124 State St., Augusta, ME 04330
- Maryland State Bar Association Website: https://www.msba.org/ Phone: (410) 685-7878 Address: 520 W. Fayette St., Baltimore, MD 21201
- Massachusetts Bar Association Website: https://www.massbar.org/ Phone: (617) 338-0500 Address: 20 West Street, Boston, MA 02111-1204
- State Bar of Michigan Website: https://www.michbar.org/ Phone: (517) 346-6300 Address: 306 Townsend St., Lansing, MI 48933-2012
- Minnesota State Bar Association Website: https://www.mnbar.org/ Phone: (612) 333-1183 Address: 600 Nicollet Mall, Suite 380, Minneapolis, MN 55402
- Mississippi Bar Website: https://www.msbar.org/ Phone: (601) 948-4471 Address: 643 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39202
- Missouri Bar Association Website: https://mobar.org/ Phone: (573) 635-4128 Address: 326 Monroe St., P.O. Box 119, Jefferson City, MO 65102
- Montana State Bar Association Website: https://www.montanabar.org/ Phone: (406) 442-7660 Address: P.O. Box 577, Helena, MT 59624
- Nebraska State Bar Association Website: https://www.nebar.com/ Phone: (402) 475-7091 Address: 635 S. 14th St., Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68508
- State Bar of Nevada Website: https://www.nvbar.org/ Phone: (702) 382-2200 Address: 3100 W. Charleston Blvd., Suite 100, Las Vegas, NV 89102
- New Hampshire Bar Association Website: https://www.nhbar.org/ Phone: (603) 224-6942 Address: 2 Pillsbury Street, Suite 300, Concord, NH 03301
- New Jersey State Bar Association Website: https://www.njsba.com/ Phone: (732) 249-5000 Address: One Constitution Square, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1500
- State Bar of New Mexico Website: https://www.nmbar.org/ Phone: (505) 797-6000 Address: 5121 Masthead NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109
- New York State Bar Association Website: https://nysba.org/ Phone: (518) 463-3200 Address: One Elk Street, Albany, NY 12207
- North Carolina State Bar Website: https://www.ncbar.gov/ Phone: (919) 828-4620 Address: 217 E. Edenton St., Raleigh, NC 27601
- State Bar Association of North Dakota Website: https://www.sband.org/ Phone: (701) 255-1404 Address: 1661 Capitol Way, Suite 104LL, Bismarck, ND 58501-5600
- Ohio State Bar Association Website: https://www.ohiobar.org/ Phone: (614) 487-2050 Address: 1700 Lake Shore Dr., Columbus, OH 43204-3895
- Oklahoma Bar Association Website: https://www.okbar.org/ Phone: (405) 416-7000 Address: 1901 N. Lincoln Blvd., Oklahoma City, OK 73105-4904
- Oregon State Bar Website: https://www.osbar.org/ Phone: (503) 620-0222 Address: 16037 SW Upper Boones Ferry Rd., Tigard, OR 97224
- Pennsylvania Bar Association Website: https://www.pabar.org/ Phone: (717) 238-6715 Address: 100 South St., Harrisburg, PA 17101
- Rhode Island Bar Association Website: https://www.ribar.com/ Phone: (401) 421-5740 Address: 41 Sharpe Dr., Cranston, RI 02920
- South Carolina Bar Website: https://www.scbar.org/ Phone: (803) 799-6653 Address: 950 Taylor St., Columbia, SC 29201
- State Bar of South Dakota Website: https://www.sdbar.org/ Phone: (605) 224-7554 Address: 111 W. Capitol Ave., Suite 1, Pierre, SD 57501
- Tennessee Bar Association Website: https://www.tba.org/ Phone: (615) 383-7421 Address: 221 Fourth Ave. North, Suite 400, Nashville, TN 37219
- State Bar of Texas Website: https://www.texasbar.com/ Phone: (800) 204-2222 Address: 1414 Colorado St., Austin, TX 78701
- Utah State Bar Website: https://www.utahbar.org/ Phone: (801) 531-9077 Address: 645 S. 200 E., Salt Lake City, UT 84111
- Vermont Bar Association Website: https://www.vtbar.org/ Phone: (802) 223-2020 Address: 35-37 Court St., Montpelier, VT 05601-0481
- Virginia State Bar Website: https://www.vsb.org/ Phone: (804) 775-0500 Address: 1111 E. Main St., Suite 700, Richmond, VA 23219-0026
- Washington State Bar Association Website: https://www.wsba.org/ Phone: (206) 443-9722 Address: 1325 Fourth Ave., Suite 600, Seattle, WA 98101-2539
- West Virginia State Bar Website: https://wvbar.org/ Phone: (304) 553-7220 Address: 2000 Deitrick Blvd., Charleston, WV 25311-1231
- State Bar of Wisconsin Website: https://www.wisbar.org/ Phone: (608) 257-3838 Address: 5302 Eastpark Blvd., Madison, WI 53718-2101
- Wyoming State Bar Website: https://www.wyomingbar.org/ Phone: (307) 632-9061 Address: 4124 Laramie St., P.O. Box 109, Cheyenne, WY 82003