North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct

North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct

Reading through the North Carolina Bar Rules before you plan your internet marketing strategy or update your law firm website will be very beneficial and helpful to you. If you do not follow those rules, you may be subject to disciplinary actions.

To avoid any issues with your internet marketing, consider hiring the marketing team at Law Firm Sites who can help create a website and marketing plan that is both effective and ethical.

More information about the North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct can be found below.

Resources

North Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct – This resource will contain the full list of Rules in New York for Professional Conduct

North Carolina Legal Ethics Opinions – Have questions after reading through the list of rules? This will be a helpful website.

Key Rules to be Aware of

lawyer

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. Such communications include but are not limited to a statement that is likely to create an unjustified expectation about results the lawyer can achieve; a statement that states or implies that the lawyer can achieve results by means that violate the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law; or a statement that compares the lawyer’s services with other lawyers’ services, unless the comparison can be factually substantiated.

RULE 7.2 COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING A LAWYER’S SERVICES: SPECIFIC RULES

(a) A lawyer may communicate information regarding the lawyer’s services through any media.

(b) A lawyer shall not compensate, give, or promise 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 an intermediary organization that complies with Rule 7.4, or a prepaid legal services plan that complies with 27 N.C. Admin. Code 1E.0301 et seq.;

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

(4) give nominal gifts as an expression of appreciation that are neither intended nor reasonably expected to be a form of compensation for recommending a lawyer’s services.

(1) the lawyer is certified as a specialist in the field of practice by:

(A) the North Carolina State Bar;

(B) an organization that is accredited by the North Carolina State Bar; or

(C) an organization that is accredited by the American Bar Association under procedures and criteria endorsed by the North Carolina State Bar; and

(2) the name of the certifying organization is clearly identified in the communication.

(d) Any communication made under this Rule must include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.