Arkansas Bar Rules for Attorney Advertising

Websites for attorneys in Arkansas are generally considered to be "communications" that are subject to regulation by the state bar rules. These rules set forth by the Arkansas Bar contain specific provisions that apply to internet marketing and website design.

It is essential to comply with the Arkansas state bar rules when creating a website or blog for your law firm. Any failure to comply with the rules can result in disciplinary actions or sanctions. Although the bar rules in Arkansas are restrictive, an attorney can stay in full compliance while still having an extremely effective internet marketing campaign.

Visit the links below to find out more information on the bar rules for attorney advertising in your state. If you are preparing to launch a new website or start a new internet marketing strategy, the first step is reading all of the bar rules that might apply.

If you are interested in finding an internet marketing and website design company, contact our parent company, Internet Lava, LLC. Call for a free consultation to discuss designing a better website and internet marketing strategy.

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Arkansas Bar Rules Resources

Arkansas Bar Association Website - Visit the website for the Arkansas Bar Association to find information on the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct, comments to the rules, and ethics advisory opinions. The Arkansas Bar Association is located at:

Arkansas Bar Association
2224 Cottondale Lane
Little Rock, AR 72202
Phone: (501) 375-4606

Office of the Committee on Professional Conduct - Visit the Arkansas Office of the Committee on Professional Conduct, which provides disciplinary decisions, grievance information and rules that govern legal professional conduct in Arkansas. This link also provides information to general court information, court rules and administrative orders, in addition to opinions by the court on various legal issues. The Arkansas Supreme Court is located at:

Arkansas Supreme Court
Justice Building
625 Marshall Street
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: (501) 682-6849

Ethics Advisory Opinions of the Arkansas Bar Association- Search the ethics advisory opinions, as provided by the Arkansas Bar Association, which gives ethical advice to attorneys in Arkansas on various hypothetical situations.

Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct - Read the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct on regulations for attorney website advertisement and marketing.

Arkansas Bar Rules Information Center

Arkansas Bar Rules Guidelines

Rule 7.1 of the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct generally governs all attorney and law firm communications about their services, including through advertisements such as website and internet marketing and advertisements.

An advertisement under Rule 7.2 is required to include at least one attorney's name who is responsible for the content, in addition to the geographical location of the principal office of the attorney or law firm where services are actually performed.

An attorney is required to keep a copy of any advertisement or communication for five years after it was last published, along with a record of where and when it was used, according to Rule 7.2 of the Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct.

False or Misleading Information on Arkansas Attorney Websites

According to the Arkansas Rule of Professional Conduct Rule 7.1, all lawyers and law firms are prohibited from making false or misleading communications about the lawyer or their services, and statements about an attorney's services should only be truthful. A communication may be false or misleading if:

The communication contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law;
The communication omits a fact that is necessary to make a statement not materially misleading when taken as a whole;
The communication probably will create an unjustified expectation as to the results the lawyer can achieve;
The communication state or implies the lawyer can achieve certain results in violation of the bar rules;
The communication compares the lawyer's services with that of another, unless they are able to be verified by facts; or
The communication contains a testimonial or endorsement.

The comments to Rule 7.1 state that past case results, including records of a favorable verdict and the amount of damages, can create unjustified expectations and should not be used in communications about the lawyer's services. Additionally, advertisements with a past client's endorsement or testimonial should not be used on attorney or law firm websites.

Use of Specialist or Certified on Arkansas Lawyer Websites

The Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct permit an attorney or law firm to state they do or do not practice in a particular field of law under Rule 7.4. However, an attorney or law firm is prohibited from stating they are "certified," a "specialist," or "specialized" in any particular field of law, unless:

The attorney has been certified as a specialist by an organization that has been accredited by the American Bar Association or by an organization approved by an appropriate state authority; and
The certifying organization's name is clearly stated in the advertisement or communication.

Helping Attorneys in Arkansas with Website Design and Internet Marketing

Lawyer Legion is an online directory that helps the public find an attorney in Arkansas for their case. Our unique ranking system recognizes lawyers based on their membership and leadership in specialty bar associations and board certification programs.

Our parent company, Internet Lava, LLC, builds websites and internet marketing strategies for lawyers across the United States. Contact us to find out more about the services we can provide to your law firm.

This article was last updated on Monday, June 10, 2019.