From Lawyerist Lab, a commenter asks whether he can charge clients for costs associated with an outsourced answering service – in his case, Ruby Receptionists. The answer – probably not.
Lawyers Can Use Competitors’ Names to Advertise…But Should They?
If you’re looking to steal a rival law firm’s Google Thunder, the coast is clear (except in North Carolina) opines Professor Eric Goldman in a soon-to-be-published SSRN article, Regulation of Lawyers’ Use of Competitive Keyword Advertising.
Goldman explains that use of a competitor’s name as a keyword violates neither publicity rights nor trademark law,
Ethics Is Only 1/5 of What Lawyers Need to Know For A Digital & Dynamic Practice
Like law, the energy and utility industry where I spend my days has traditionally been heavily regulated. What that means is that rules for participants or relief for consumers come by way of regulatory commissions rather than statute or contract. But that model changed when utilities dipped their toes into social media where as this
Determination of A Bonafide NY Office Requirement Is Next Step To Its Demise
The New York Journal reports on a recent Court of Appeals ruling interpreting NY Judiciary Law §470 as requiring attorneys who are not residents of New York to maintain a physical office in the space to practice. That physical office requirement means a real space – not a kitchen table or a corner in Starbucks.
Stop the Madness: How The NYCLA’s Ethics Opinion on LinkedIn Forces Lawyers To Act Deceptively And Violate Linked In’s User Agreement.
Deceive – to mislead by a false appearance or statement
By now, in 2015, most of the general public over the age of 21 have been using Google, Facebook and LinkedIn for nearly a decade. During that time, they’ve acclimated to the culture of each of these online universes, and grown as adept in distinguishing
Does An Ethics Rule Requiring Technologic Competence Mean Much?
Do as we say, not as we do.
That’s the message that the regulators send, as they fall in lock step behind the ABA in adopting the ABA Model Code’s rule requiring lawyers to keep abreast of the benefits and risks of technology, as reported by Bob Ambrogi at Law Sites. According to Bob,
Ask An Ethics Question: Gift Cards
A few days ago, a question appeared on the Solosez Listserve, inquiring whether a promotional strategy – whereby individuals referred to a firm by an existing client would be entered into a drawing for a gift card upon coming in for a free consultation – passed ethical muster.
Happily, everyone who
New York Bar Recognizes that Virtual Lawyers May Be More Accessible to Clients
Slowly but surely, these times they are a changing. In Ethics Opinion 1025, the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) clarified that its advertising rules – which require lawyers to list a physical address on letterhead and business cards – does not “independent mandate for attorneys who advertise to maintain a physical office address.”
Should Lawyers Mark A Spot With With a Domain Dot – And Will Ethics Regulators Say Yay or Not?
Move over, vanity license plates emblazoned with slogans like NTGUILTY, or call lines like 1-800-SUE-THEM. Beginning today, lawyers everywhere will have yet another means to brazenly trumpet their presence as the gtld (generic top level domain names) .lawyer and .attorney become generally available for registration. That’s right, by tonight, the web will be littered
A Legal Tech Tool That Is Actually Very Cool – But Does It Break Ethics Rules?
To date, much of what’s been characterized as legal disruption hasn’t impressed me as much more than a souped-up, techno-powered version of what’s been tried before and failed. Still, I’m no curmudgeon and every so often, I find myself excited about the possibility of tiny law applications like Shake Legal – an app to