Key takeaways
- Your website is advertising under every state's rules of professional conduct — the rules apply whether you thought about them or not.
- The usual flashpoints: case results, client testimonials, claims of expertise, and required disclaimers.
- Rules vary by state, so a compliant site in one bar's jurisdiction may violate another's.
- Build compliance in from the first draft — retrofitting it after launch is slower and riskier.
Your website is advertising
Every U.S. jurisdiction treats a law firm website as attorney advertising or communication about legal services, governed by that state's rules of professional conduct (usually some version of Model Rules 7.1 through 7.5). That's true whether or not you ever thought of your site as an "ad." The result: the same site can be perfectly fine under one state bar's rules and a violation under another's.
This isn't a marketing footnote. Advertising violations are ethics violations, and they can mean discipline. The good news is that compliance is entirely manageable when it's built in from the start — it only becomes painful when it's an afterthought.
The four areas that trip firms up
- Case results. Touting verdicts and settlements is allowed in most states — but typically only with disclaimers ("prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome," "results vary") and without implying you'll get the same result for the reader.
- Testimonials. Some states restrict or require disclaimers on client testimonials; some limit what clients can say. How you display reviews matters.
- Specialization and expertise. Words like "specialist," "expert," or "best" are restricted in many jurisdictions unless you hold a recognized certification. Casual use is a common violation.
- Required disclaimers and identifiers. Many states require specific language, an identified attorney responsible for the content, and a physical office address.
A single non-compliant testimonial or an unqualified "best lawyer in town" can turn a marketing asset into a disciplinary exhibit. The fixes are simple — when they're done before launch.
Why it varies so much by state
There's no single national standard. Each state bar adapts the model rules its own way, and a few are notably strict about advertising. A firm that practices across state lines — or simply wants to be careful — has to build to the rules of the jurisdiction where it's admitted and advertising.
That's why every site we build is made to satisfy the specific advertising rules of your state bar, with your own counsel giving final sign-off. We handle the structure; you and your bar have the last word.
Build it in, don't bolt it on
Retrofitting compliance onto a finished site is slow and error-prone — you're hunting for problems across dozens of pages. Building it in from the first draft is faster and safer: disclaimers live in the templates, results sections are structured correctly from the start, and testimonial handling follows your bar's rules by default.
Done this way, you end up with a site you can submit for bar review with confidence, instead of one that quietly creates exposure every day it's live.