Rule Library · California
Attorney advertising rules in California
What follows is what California’s published rules require of a law firm’s own advertising, in the order it usually matters: the label, past results, what you may claim about specialization, testimonials, fee statements, and filing.
This is a reading of published rules, not legal advice. Your bar, and you, decide what may be published.
The rule areas
- Advertising labelnot yet verified
- We have not read California’s text on this rule area yet, so we will not cite a rule number for it. The bar’s own URL is in the margin.
- Prior resultsnot yet verified
- We have not read California’s text on this rule area yet, so we will not cite a rule number for it. The bar’s own URL is in the margin.
- Specialization claimsCleared
- A lawyer shall not state they are a 'certified specialist' unless currently certified by the State Bar's Board of Legal Specialization (California's own certification program) or another entity accredited by the State Bar, and the certifying organization must be clearly identified in the communication. Cal. Rule of Prof'l Conduct 7.4. California has its own program: the State Bar Board of Legal Specialization, certifying specialists in 11 areas of law.
- Bar filingnot yet verified
- We have not read California’s text on this rule area yet, so we will not cite a rule number for it. The bar’s own URL is in the margin.
- Testimonialsnot yet verified
- We have not read California’s text on this rule area yet, so we will not cite a rule number for it. The bar’s own URL is in the margin.
- Fee statementsnot yet verified
- We have not read California’s text on this rule area yet, so we will not cite a rule number for it. The bar’s own URL is in the margin.
What changed recently
California's current Rule 7.1 (general false/misleading communications) and its comment on prior-results/testimonial language (drawn from the rule-drafting Commission report) were only partially retrieved; the specific text of current Rule 7.1's operative prior-results/testimonial provisions should be re-verified directly against the calbar.ca.gov Chapter 7 page before use, so prior_results, testimonials, ad_label, filing, and contingency_fee are left null pending that direct confirmation.
Check your firm’s site against California’s rules.
We read your home page and up to 4 more, then name each place your copy is missing something these rules require.