LegalMatch Must Be Regulated as a Lawyer Referral Service

• Author: Benjamin E. Long
• Pages: 4-5

Published in Litigation News Volume 45, Number 3, Spring 20 20. © 2020 by the Ameri can Bar Association. Re produced with per mission. All rights re served. This info rmation or any porti on thereof may not be c opied or disseminated in any

form or by any means or sto red in an electronic da tabase or retrieval sy stem without the ex press writt en consent of the Amer ican Bar Associatio n.

LegalMatch Must Be

Regulated as a Lawyer

Referral Service

4 | A BA SECTION OF LITIGATIO N

By Benjamin E. Long, Litigation News Associate Editor

An online service provider that merely forwards potential clients to lawyers with-

out analyzing their cases must be regulated under state law as a lawyer referral

service. The decision in Jackson v. LegalMatch.com elevated the need to protect

the public from unethical solicitation over making it easier for people to locate an

attorney to take their case. ABA Section of Litigation leaders warn that this broad

interpretation could have far-reaching effects that might apply to internet search

engines and lawyers who use these online referral services.

Should a Forward ing Service Be Reg ulated?

LegalM atch sued a former member attor ney in a Californ ia

state court for not payi ng his subscription fee s. LegalMatch

operates a website that al lows consumers to locate law yers.

The service i s free for the public, but lawyer s pay a subscrip -

tion fee to become member s and to be connected to poten-

tial clients in t heir geographic region and registere d area of

practice. Consu mers provide their location and the legal c at-

egory that applies to thei r issue. That information is then for-

warded to lawyers who are subs cribers to LegalMatch.