Florida Bar Backs Off Absurd Advertising Rule
The Florida Bar is known as perhaps the most aggressive and strict bar association in the country in regards to lawyer advertising. Florida lawyers have sued the Bar several times for violating their First Amendment free speech rights.
In a welcome turn, the Bar has backed off of one of its numerous absurd advertising rules. Lawyers are now allowed to use the word “trust” in our advertising.
The Florida Bar prohibits lawyers from describing the quality of our services. For example, we can’t say we’re great lawyers. I’ve opined a little on that at this I Am Not Legally Allowed To Say I Am the Best Florida Lawyer Blog post.
For some time, the bar prohibited lawyers from using the word trust in advertisments because the bar considered that to describe the quality of a lawyers service. What they forgot is that lawyers are required to be trustworthy.
We are bound by our oath and by the bar’s code of legal ethics to maintain lawyer/client confidentiality. Let’s review the logic of this one: the bar requires us to be trustworthy and then forbids us from telling the public that we’re trustworthy.
I’m glad to see this rule taken off the books.
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