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Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct

The Illinois Bar follows the Rules of Professional Conduct when it comes to advertising, which you should review if you are wanting to create a marketing plan. If you fail to keep the rules laid out, the Illinois Bar may take disciplinary action against your firm.

As an example, you should be sure to include a disclaimer on your website pages. A disclaimer could say, “We do not promise that our services exceed that of another lawyer,” or, “The information on our website is intended for informational purposes and should not be taken as legal advice.” If you need help adding these disclaimers to your website, contact a law firm web design team. 

Resources

Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct – The complete guide to the Rules of Professional Conduct in Illinois

Illinois State Bar Ethics Opinions – This resource will provide you with ethics opinions regarding attorney advertising in Illinois.

Key Rules to be Aware of

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RULE 7.1: COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING A LAWYER’S SERVICES

A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading

RULE 7.2: ADVERTISING

(a) Subject to the requirements of Rules 7.1 and 7.3, a lawyer may advertise services through written, recorded or electronic communication, including public media.

(b) A lawyer shall not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services except that a lawyer may

(1) pay the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications permitted by this Rule;

(2) pay the usual charges of a legal service plan or a not-for-profit lawyer referral service;

(3) pay for a law practice in accordance with Rule 1.17; and

(4) refer clients to another lawyer or a nonlawyer professional pursuant to an agreement not otherwise prohibited under these Rules that provides for the other person to refer clients or customers to the lawyer, if

(i) the reciprocal referral agreement is not exclusive, and

(ii) the client is informed of the existence and nature of the agreement.

(c) Any communication made pursuant to this Rule shall include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.

Check out some of our favorite Illinois attorney websites

Pellis Law Group, LLP

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Gomberg Sharfman PC

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The Walker Law Firm LLC

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