Law Firm Website May Post Case Summaries, N.C. Ethics Opinion Says
A law firm may showcase successful verdicts and settlements on its website, as long as enough information is provided and an “appropriate disclaimer” is included, according to a North Carolina ethics opinion.
Consumers researching law firms on the Internet expect to find information about past successes, according to the opinion. It considered whether a website that showcases successful verdicts and settlements violates an ethics rule barring false or misleading communications about a lawyer or the lawyer’s services. The answer was a qualified “yes.”
The website has to contain sufficient information about the factual and legal circumstances of the cases, along with “an appropriate disclaimer,” the opinion says. “The summary should reference the complexity of the matter; whether liability and/or damages were contested; whether the opposing party was represented by legal counsel; and, if applicable, the firm’s success in actually collecting the judgment.”
The Legal Profession Blog noted the July 24 opinion.
