Advertising.

AuthorBookman, Connie Reeves
PositionAnnual Reports of Committees of the Florida Bar: 2018-2019

The Standing Committee on Advertising is responsible for advising members of The Florida Bar on permissible advertising and marketing practices. The committee, which meets periodically as needed, reviews appeals of opinions issued by staff counsel, offers guidance to staff in evaluating lawyer advertisements, makes recommendations regarding rule changes, and provides guidance to Florida Bar members concerning both the substantive and procedural requirements of the advertising rules.

The committee advises Bar members on the substance of the advertising rules through a variety of different methods. An in-depth analysis of the filing requirements, substantive regulations, and committee interpretations is provided by the committee's Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation. The Handbook is regularly updated by Bar staff to reflect important changes that have occurred and is currently available on the website for easy access by Bar members. The Handbook and other information addressed in this report are available on the Bar's website at www.floridabar.org.

This was a busy year for the Standing Committee on Advertising. In addition to reviewing advertisements filed by members of The Florida Bar, the committee reviewed numerous articles and opinions regarding significant national trends and developments in legal advertising and marketing.

* Proposed Amendments to Rules on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation --A subcommittee of the Professional Ethics Committee has recommended an amendment to the comment to Rule 4-7.18 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar which addresses solicitation. The recommended amendment would clarify what types of exchange of information with prospective clients would be acceptable at professional and social gatherings as well as on social media. The issue has been referred to the Standing Committee on Advertising. The committee will be considering the amendment at its next meeting.

The committee also discussed possible amendments to Rule 4-7.22, which the committee deferred pending the Florida Supreme Court ruling on an already-filed petition to amend that rule.

* Other Accomplishments--By far the most time-consuming task of the committee this year, as in past years, has been reviewing advertisements filed by members of The Florida Bar to determine whether they comply with the advertising rules. The committee reviews decisions of its staff regarding lawyer advertisements if committee review of staff's...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT