The State Bar of California is making some big changes. Effective November 2018, the State Bar will implement nearly 70 new Rules of Professional Conduct. These rules pertain to everything from harassment and discrimination to — you guessed it — attorney advertising. California is finally catching up with the [digital] times and regulating attorney usage of the world wide web for marketing and advertising purposes.
State Bar of California Rules Relating to Attorney Advertising
In some ways, the State Bar is relaxing its ethical standards for attorneys who engage in online marketing. For example, in the footnotes of the new rules, the State Bar recognizes that “because a “web page” is an electronic communication, it would be extraordinarily burdensome to require a lawyer to retain copies of each web page given how often the information on web pages are changed, and how often web pages are deleted.” And “that even with the deletion of the requirement in rule 1-400(F), a one-year retention requirement would remain in Business and Professions Code section 6159.1.” 
The State Bar is addressing social media and online marketing specifically in its new rules. The good news is that you’re completely in the clear when it comes to hiring a team of experts like us for your legal marketing needs.
Social Media Ethics for California Attorneys
California is one of the strictest states when it comes to attorney advertising and marketing and these new ethics guidelines for attorneys in California line up with the ABA Model Rules, making it easier for attorneys to practice law in multiple jurisdictions.
For more information about how the Rules of Professional Conduct are changing and how your marketing efforts will be affected, contact the legal marketing professionals at WebPresence, Esq.
To bring attorney and social media marketing expert Kristen Marquis Dennis in to your law firm or organization for a presentation on these new rules and your marketing, contact her.
