Legal Advertising - Attorneys - Business & Professions - CA

Section § 6157

This section defines some important terms related to advertising legal services in California. A 'licensee' is a lawyer who is part of the State Bar of California or works for a law firm in good standing. A 'lawyer' includes not only members of the State Bar but also those eligible to practice in various courts across the U.S. and abroad. 'Advertise' means any public communication that promotes legal services, like TV or radio ads, billboards, or general mailings. Lastly, 'electronic medium' refers to TV, radio, or the internet.

As used in this article, the following definitions apply:

(a) “Licensee” means a licensee in good standing of the State Bar and includes any agent of the licensee and any law firm or law corporation doing business in the State of California.

(b) “Lawyer” means a licensee of the State Bar or a person who is admitted in good standing and eligible to practice before the bar of any United States court or the highest court of the District of Columbia or any state, territory, or insular possession of the United States, or is licensed to practice law in, or is admitted in good standing and eligible to practice before the bar of the highest court of, a foreign country or any political subdivision thereof, and includes any agent of the lawyer, law firm, or law corporation doing business in the state.

(c) “Advertise” or “advertisement” means any communication, disseminated by television or radio, by any print medium, including, but not limited to, newspapers and billboards, or by means of a mailing directed generally to members of the public and not to a specific person, that solicits employment of legal services provided by a licensee, and is directed to the general public and is paid for by, or on the behalf of, an attorney.

(d) “Electronic medium” means television, radio, or computer networks.

licensee lawyer advertise

Section § 6157.1

This law says that advertisements cannot include any false, misleading, or deceptive information. They also must not leave out important details that would make the ad's claims misleading or untruthful.

No advertisement shall contain any false, misleading, or deceptive statement or omit to state any fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of circumstances under which they are made, not false, misleading, or deceptive.

advertising rules false advertising misleading statements

Section § 6157.2

This law focuses on what advertisements for legal services cannot include. It says you can't promise guaranteed results or quick cash from your services. Ads shouldn't use someone else's identity or imply they're a lawyer or client unless made clear. Any spokesperson must be properly identified, and if an ad mentions contingent fees, it has to say if clients owe any costs if they don't win their case.

No advertisement shall contain or refer to any of the following:

(a) Any guarantee or warranty regarding the outcome of a legal matter as a result of representation by the licensee.

(b) Statements or symbols stating that the licensee featured in the advertisement can generally obtain immediate cash or quick settlements.

(c)

(1) An impersonation of the name, voice, photograph, or electronic image of any person other than the lawyer, directly or implicitly purporting to be that of a lawyer.

(2) An impersonation of the name, voice, photograph, or electronic image of any person, directly or implicitly purporting to be a client of the licensee featured in the advertisement, or a dramatization of events, unless disclosure of the impersonation or dramatization is made in the advertisement.

(3) A spokesperson, including a celebrity spokesperson, unless there is disclosure of the spokesperson’s title.

(d) A statement that a licensee offers representation on a contingent basis unless the statement also advises whether a client will be held responsible for any costs advanced by the licensee when no recovery is obtained on behalf of the client. If the client will not be held responsible for costs, no disclosure is required.

legal advertisements guaranteed results quick settlements

Section § 6157.3

If someone else pays for an ad on behalf of a licensed professional, the ad must mention any current or past business relationship between the advertiser and the person who paid for it.

Any advertisement made on behalf of a licensee, which is not paid for by the licensee, shall disclose any business relationship, past or present, between the licensee and the person paying for the advertisement.

advertisement disclosure business relationship licensee advertising

Section § 6157.4

This law requires lawyer referral services to be transparent about their advertising. If attorneys are paying anything extra beyond their proportional share of actual costs to be included on a referral list or system, the ads must clearly disclose this information.

Any advertisement that is created or disseminated by a lawyer referral service shall disclose whether the attorneys on the organization’s referral list, panel, or system, paid any consideration, other than a proportional share of actual cost, to be included on that list, panel, or system.

lawyer referral service advertisement disclosure attorney payments

Section § 6157.5

If a lawyer advertises their services for immigration or naturalization, they must state that they are actively licensed by the State Bar to practice law in California. This applies to individual lawyers and law firms with multiple attorneys. If the ad is in another language, the licensing information must be in that language too. This rule doesn't apply to short listings in phone books or ads for lawyers working for public agencies or nonprofit organizations. Not following these rules can lead to disciplinary action by the State Bar.

(a) All advertisements published, distributed, or broadcasted by or on behalf of a licensee seeking professional employment for the licensee in providing services relating to immigration or naturalization shall include a statement that he or she is an active licensee of the State Bar, licensed to practice law in this state. If the advertisement seeks employment for a law firm or law corporation employing more than one attorney, the advertisement shall include a statement that all the services relating to immigration and naturalization provided by the firm or corporation shall be provided by an active licensee of the State Bar or by a person under the supervision of an active licensee of the State Bar. This subdivision shall not apply to classified or “yellow pages” listings in a telephone or business directory of three lines or less that state only the name, address, and telephone number of the listed entity.

(b) If the advertisement is in a language other than English, the statement required by subdivision (a) shall be in the same language as the advertisement.

(c) This section shall not apply to licensees employed by public agencies or by nonprofit entities registered with the Secretary of State.

(d) A violation of this section by a licensee shall be cause for discipline by the State Bar.

immigration services naturalization services advertisements

Section § 6158

When advertising through electronic media, all parts of the message must be true and not misleading. This includes everything from words and images to sounds and symbols. The claims you make should be verifiable by reliable sources.

In advertising by electronic media, to comply with Sections 61571.1 and 6157.2, the message as a whole may not be false, misleading, or deceptive, and the message as a whole must be factually substantiated. The message means the effect in combination of the spoken word, sound, background, action, symbols, visual image, or any other technique employed to create the message. Factually substantiated means capable of verification by a credible source.

electronic media advertising false advertising misleading claims

Section § 6158.1

This law states that certain types of lawyer advertisements are likely to be considered false, misleading, or deceptive. First, if an ad talks about the result of a specific case but doesn't clearly explain the facts or legal reasons for that result, it's suspect. Second, any ad using dramatic imagery, like showing injuries or accident scenes, can also be misleading. Third, ads that mention or imply specific amounts of money received from a case or potential compensation can be deceptive, especially if they feature dollar amounts, symbols, or suggest wealth.

There shall be a rebuttable presumption affecting the burden of producing evidence that the following messages are false, misleading, or deceptive within the meaning of Section 6158:

(a) A message as to the ultimate result of a specific case or cases presented out of context without adequately providing information as to the facts or law giving rise to the result.

(b) The depiction of an event through methods such as the use of displays of injuries, accident scenes, or portrayals of other injurious events which may or may not be accompanied by sound effects and which may give rise to a claim for compensation.

(c) A message referring to or implying money received by or for a client in a particular case or cases, or to potential monetary recovery for a prospective client. A reference to money or monetary recovery includes, but is not limited to, a specific dollar amount, characterization of a sum of money, monetary symbols, or the implication of wealth.

rebuttable presumption false advertising deceptive messages

Section § 6158.2

This section lists the types of information that are generally okay to include in electronic media advertisements for lawyers, as long as the ads are not false or misleading. It covers details like the lawyer's or firm’s name, areas of practice, fees for routine services (with some conditions), birth details, bar admission dates, education, public service, military history, legal writings and teaching, bar association memberships, professional licenses, and language skills.

The following information shall be presumed to be in compliance with this article for purposes of advertising by electronic media, provided the message as a whole is not false, misleading, or deceptive:

(a) Name, including name of law firm, names of professional associates, addresses, telephone numbers, and the designation “lawyer,” “attorney,” “law firm,” or the like.

(b) Fields of practice, limitation of practice, or specialization.

(c) Fees for routine legal services, subject to the requirements of subdivision (d) of Section 6157.2 and the Rules of Professional Conduct.

(d) Date and place of birth.

(e) Date and place of admission to the bar of state and federal courts.

(f) Schools attended, with dates of graduation, degrees, and other scholastic distinctions.

(g) Public or quasi-public offices.

(h) Military service.

(i) Legal authorship.

(j) Legal teaching positions.

(k) Memberships, offices, and committee assignments in bar associations.

(l) Memberships and offices in legal fraternities and legal societies.

(m) Technical and professional licenses.

(n) Memberships in scientific, technical, and professional associations and societies.

(o) Foreign language ability of the advertising lawyer or a member of lawyer’s firm.

law firm advertising electronic media compliance legal advertising guidelines

Section § 6158.3

If a law firm advertises through electronic media, and the ad shows the outcome of a specific case, the ad must include a clear explanation of the facts and legal reasons for that outcome, or it must state that results can vary and depend on the specifics of each case. This ensures potential clients understand that outcomes are not guaranteed and are specific to each case.

In addition to any disclosure required by Section 6157.2, Section 6157.3, and the Rules of Professional Conduct, the following disclosure shall appear in advertising by electronic media. Use of the following disclosure alone may not rebut any presumption created in Section 6158.1. If an advertisement in the electronic media conveys a message portraying a result in a particular case or cases, the advertisement must state, in either an oral or printed communication, either of the following disclosures: The advertisement must adequately disclose the factual and legal circumstances that justify the result portrayed in the message, including the basis for liability and the nature of injury or damage sustained, or the advertisement must state that the result portrayed in the advertisement was dependent on the facts of that case, and that the results will differ if based on different facts.

electronic media advertising case result disclosure factual circumstances

Section § 6158.4

If someone believes a lawyer's advertisement violates certain rules, they can file a complaint with the State Bar. The advertiser has nine days to stop the ad voluntarily after being notified. The State Bar then checks if there is strong evidence of a violation. If there is, the advertiser has 72 hours to stop the ad, or they might face legal action. If there isn't strong evidence, formal legal steps can't be taken, but the issue can be pursued in court for a decision on whether the ad breaks the rules. Any lawyer or referral service involved can also ask the court to declare if the ad was wrong.

Violations might lead to civil actions where people can sue for damages up to $5,000. Legal cases are handled like any other civil trial, and if someone files five meritless complaints, they might be required to provide a large security amount for future complaints. Any decisions or fines help fund a security fund for clients. In successful cases, the court may also award attorney's fees if a public interest was enforced.

(a) Any person claiming a violation of Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 may file a complaint with the State Bar that states the name of the advertiser, a description of the advertisement claimed to violate these sections, and that specifically identifies the alleged violation. A copy of the complaint shall be served simultaneously upon the advertiser. The advertiser shall have nine days from the date of service of the complaint to voluntarily withdraw from broadcast the advertisement that is the subject of the complaint. If the advertiser elects to withdraw the advertisement, the advertiser shall notify the State Bar of that fact, and no further action may be taken by the complainant. The advertiser shall provide a copy of the complained of advertisement to the State Bar for review within seven days of service of the complaint. Within 21 days of the delivery of the complained of advertisement, the State Bar shall determine whether substantial evidence of a violation of these sections exists. The review shall be conducted by a State Bar attorney who has expertise in the area of lawyer advertising.

(b)

(1) Upon a State Bar determination that substantial evidence of a violation exists, if the licensee or certified lawyer referral service withdraws that advertisement from broadcast within 72 hours, no further action may be taken by the complainant.

(2) Upon a State Bar determination that substantial evidence of a violation exists, if the licensee or certified lawyer referral service fails to withdraw the advertisement within 72 hours, a civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e) may be commenced within one year of the State Bar decision. If the licensee or certified lawyer referral service withdraws an advertisement upon a State Bar determination that substantial evidence of a violation exists and subsequently rebroadcasts the same advertisement without a finding by the trier of fact in an action brought pursuant to subdivision (c) or (e) that the advertisement does not violate Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3, a civil enforcement action may be commenced within one year of the rebroadcast.

(3) Upon a determination that substantial evidence of a violation does not exist, the complainant is barred from bringing a civil enforcement action pursuant to subdivision (e), but may bring an action for declaratory relief pursuant to subdivision (c).

(c) Any licensee or certified lawyer referral service who was the subject of a complaint and any complainant affected by the decision of the State Bar may bring an action for declaratory relief in the superior court to obtain a judicial declaration of whether Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 has been violated, and, if applicable, may also request injunctive relief. Any defense otherwise available at law may be raised for the first time in the declaratory relief action, including any constitutional challenge. Any civil enforcement action filed pursuant to subdivision (e) shall be stayed pending the resolution of the declaratory relief action. The action shall be defended by the real party in interest. The State Bar shall not be considered a party to the action unless it elects to intervene in the action.

(1) Upon a State Bar determination that substantial evidence of a violation exists, if the complainant or the licensee or certified lawyer referral service brings an action for declaratory relief to obtain a judicial declaration of whether the advertisement violates Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3, and the court declares that the advertisement violates one or more of the sections, a civil enforcement action pursuant to subdivision (e) may be filed or maintained if the licensee or certified lawyer referral service failed to withdraw the advertisement within 72 hours of the State Bar determination. The decision of the court that an advertisement violates Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 shall be binding on the issue of whether the advertisement is unlawful in any pending or prospective civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e) if that binding effect is supported by the doctrine of collateral estoppel or res judicata.

If, in that declaratory relief action, the court declares that the advertisement does not violate Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3, the licensee or lawyer referral service may broadcast the advertisement. The decision of the court that an advertisement does not violate Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 shall bar any pending or prospective civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e) if that prohibitive effect is supported by the doctrine of collateral estoppel or res judicata.

(2) If, following a State Bar determination that does not find substantial evidence that an advertisement violates Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3, the complainant or the licensee or certified lawyer referral service brings an action for declaratory relief to obtain a judicial declaration of whether the advertisement violates Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3, and the court declares that the advertisement violates one or more of the sections, a civil enforcement action pursuant to subdivision (e) may be filed or maintained if the licensee or certified lawyer referral service broadcasts the same advertisement following the decision in the declaratory relief action. The decision of the court that an advertisement violates Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 shall be binding on the issue of whether the advertisement is unlawful in any pending or prospective civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e) if that binding effect is supported by the doctrine of collateral estoppel or res judicata.

If, in that declaratory relief action, the court declares that the advertisement does not violate Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3, the licensee or lawyer referral service may continue broadcast of the advertisement. The decision of the court that an advertisement does not violate Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 shall bar any pending or prospective civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e) if that prohibitive effect is supported by the doctrine of collateral estoppel or res judicata.

(d) The State Bar review procedure shall apply only to licensees and certified referral services. A direct civil enforcement action for a violation of Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 may be maintained against any other advertiser after first giving 14 days’ notice to the advertiser of the alleged violation. If the advertiser does not withdraw from broadcast the advertisement that is the subject of the notice within 14 days of service of the notice, a civil enforcement action pursuant to subdivision (e) may be commenced. The civil enforcement action shall be commenced within one year of the date of the last publication or broadcast of the advertisement that is the subject of the action.

(e) Subject to Section 6158.5, a violation of Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 shall be cause for a civil enforcement action brought by any person residing within the State of California for an amount up to five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each individual broadcast that violates Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3. Venue shall be in a county where the advertisement was broadcast.

(f) In any civil action brought pursuant to this section, the matter shall be determined according to the law and procedure relating to the trial of civil actions, including trial by jury, if demanded.

(g) The decision of the State Bar pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be admissible in the civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e). However, the State Bar shall not be a party or a witness in either a declaratory relief proceeding brought pursuant to subdivision (c) or the civil enforcement action brought pursuant to subdivision (e). Additionally, no direct action may be filed against the State Bar challenging the State Bar’s decision pursuant to subdivision (a).

(h) Amounts recovered pursuant to this section shall be paid into the Client Security Fund maintained by the State Bar.

(i) In any civil action brought pursuant to this section, the court shall award attorney’s fees pursuant to Section 1021.5 of the Code of Civil Procedure if the court finds that the action has resulted in the enforcement of an important public interest or that a significant benefit has been conferred on the public.

(j) The State Bar shall maintain records of all complainants and complaints filed pursuant to subdivision (a) for a period of seven years. If a complainant files five or more unfounded complaints within seven years, the complainant shall be considered a vexatious litigant for purposes of this section. The State Bar shall require any person deemed a vexatious litigant to post security in the minimum amount of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000) prior to considering any complaint filed by that person and shall refrain from taking any action until the security is posted. In any civil action arising from this section brought by a person deemed a vexatious litigant, the defendant may advise the court and trier of fact that the plaintiff is deemed to be a vexatious litigant under the provisions of this section and disclose the basis for this determination.

(k) Nothing in this section shall restrict any other right available under existing law or otherwise available to a citizen seeking redress for false, misleading, or deceptive advertisements.

lawyer advertising State Bar complaint ad violations

Section § 6158.5

This regulation targets anyone advertising legal services, like lawyers or law firms, but it does not apply to certain nonprofit legal projects or certified lawyer referral services. Also, media outlets or advertising agencies that only create ads, without getting involved in lawyer advertising groups, aren't covered by some of these rules.

This article applies to all lawyers, licensees, law partnerships, law corporations, entities subject to regulation under Section 6155, advertising collectives, cooperatives, or other individuals, including nonlawyers, or groups advertising the availability of legal services. Subdivisions (a) to (k), inclusive, of Section 6158.4 do not apply to qualified legal services projects as defined in Article 14 (commencing with Section 6210) and nonprofit lawyer referral services certified under Section 6155. Sections 6157 to 6158.5, inclusive, do not apply to the media in which the advertising is displayed or to an advertising agency that prepares the contents of an advertisement and is not directly involved in the formation or operation of lawyer advertising collectives or cooperatives, referral services, or other groups existing primarily for the purpose of advertising the availability of legal services or making referrals to attorneys.

lawyer advertising legal services advertising certified lawyer referral services

Section § 6158.7

If a lawyer breaks certain advertising rules, the State Bar can discipline them. The State Bar can look into a complaint if someone files it, and their decision can be used in any disciplinary hearing, though it doesn't decide the outcome alone.

A violation of Section 6158, 6158.1, or 6158.3 by a licensee shall be cause for discipline by the State Bar. In addition to the existing grounds for initiating a disciplinary proceeding set forth in a statute or in the Rules of Professional Conduct, the State Bar may commence an investigation based upon a complaint filed by a person pursuant to Section 6158.4. The State Bar’s decision pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 6158.4 shall be admissible, but shall not be determinative, in any disciplinary proceeding brought as a result of that complaint.

lawyer advertising rules disciplinary proceeding complaint investigation

Section § 6159

If someone breaks the rules in this article, the court will send their details, like name and license number, to the agency that issued their professional license. This agency can then decide whether to discipline them.

The court shall report the name, address, and professional license number of any person found in violation of this article to the appropriate professional licensing agency for review and possible disciplinary action.

court report professional license violations

Section § 6159.1

This law requires that anyone who pays for an advertisement to promote legal services must keep a true and accurate copy of that advertisement for at least one year.

A true and correct copy of any advertisement made by a person or licensee shall be retained for one year by the person or licensee who pays for an advertisement soliciting employment of legal services.

advertisement retention legal services advertising copy retention

Section § 6159.2

This law section clarifies two main points: first, it states that the article doesn't restrict the enforcement of other legal provisions, court rules, or professional conduct rules set by the State Bar. Second, it protects advertising rights under both the California and U.S. Constitutions. If any part of this article is unconstitutional, that specific part can be removed without affecting the rest of the article.

(a) Nothing in this article shall be deemed to limit or preclude enforcement of any other provision of law, or of any court rule, or of the State Bar Rules of Professional Conduct.

(b) Nothing in this article shall limit the right of advertising protected under the Constitution of the State of California or of the United States. If any provision of this article is found to violate either Constitution, that provision is severable and the remaining provisions shall be enforceable without the severed provision.

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