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Paralegal site charged with unauthorized practice of law 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: June 1, 2011

Tags: advertising, ethics, paralegal services, paralegals, unauthorized practice of law, websites

Faced with what increasingly is becoming a problem for bar associations across the country, the Rhode Island Supreme Court has determined that a Texas paralegal services company was engaged in the unauthorized practice of law in Rhode Island.

Evaluate ROI before spending your marketing dollars 

By: Carolyn Lavin
Published: May 27, 2011

Tags: advertising, charitable contributions, legal marketing, marketing, return on investment, ROI

Few small law firms have marketing budgets with line items devoted to business development initiatives such as public relations, paid advertising, charitable donations, website enhancements and print material updates.

Mich. rule requires lawyers to mark solicitations as advertising 

Published: May 27, 2011

Tags: ABA Model Rules, advertising, ethics, legal advertising, legal marketing, marketing, solicitation

Lawyers in Michigan will have to mark any letter sent to solicit representation of a prospective client as advertising material under a new ethics rule enacted by the Michigan Supreme Court.

Judge upholds $17.5 million verdict in airport bid case 

By: Tony Ogden
Published: February 1, 2011

Tags: advertising, Clear Channel, conspiracy, equal protection, Georgia

A judge has denied motions filed by the city of Atlanta and others who sought to overturn a $17.5 million verdict involving a lucrative indoor advertising contract at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Advertising at houses of worship: affordable and effective for solos, small firms 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: May 25, 2010

Tags: advertising, marketing

Sole practitioners and small firms are not known for the size of their advertising budgets.

So spending less than $100 a month for a year and getting several clients by advertising at a house of worship can be an affordable and cost-effective way to increase business.

State closes investigation of legal referral website 

By: Sylvia Hsieh
Published: December 24, 2009

Tags: advertising, ethics, marketing, referrals

In a case that tests the boundaries of Internet lawyer advertising, Illinois has decided to close its investigation and not pursue disciplinary proceedings against attorneys who participated in the legal referral website, totalattorneys.com.

Identical cases remain against nearly 500 attorneys in over 40 states.

Attorney advertising takes another hit 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: August 18, 2009

Tags: advertising, lawyer advertising, professional responsibility

In the latest round in the national battle over legal advertising, a U.S. District Court judge recently ruled that Louisiana’s proposed rules for attorney Internet advertising are unconstitutional – but other advertising regulations of print and television media are permissible.

Finding clients with Craigslist 

By: Justin Rebello
Published: August 6, 2009

Tags: advertising, Craigslist, marketing

Craigslist, the ubiquitous, free classified ads website that gets roughly 20 billion page views per month, can be a terrific source for attorneys seeking new clients.

Judge rules on Louisiana advertising rules 

By: Correy Stephenson
Published: August 4, 2009

Tags: advertising, lawyer advertising, professional responsibility

Louisiana’s proposed rules limiting an attorney’s use of the Internet and celebrity endorsements in advertising are unconstitutional – but other advertising regulations are permissible, a U.S. District Court has ruled.

Does your blog break lawyer advertising rules? 

By: Justin Rebello
Published: July 23, 2009

Tags: advertising, blogs, ethics

For attorneys new to blogging, the rush of promoting one’s expertise in a very public forum might cause them to overlook the ethical standards that apply to lawyer advertising. Here are some ways for a lawyer to ensure that his or her blog adheres to ethical rules.