Idaho Bar Rules for Attorney Advertising

Navigating the bar rules for Idaho attorneys for law firm advertising can be a confusing process. If you make a mistake, you might expose yourself to disciplinary actions. For this reason, it is important to hire an internet marketing company that understands the applicable bar rules in Idaho for your website and social media platforms.

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. When it comes to attorney advertising, the main rules can be found in the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct (IRPC) which became effective on November 1, 1986, (with subsequent amendments) by order of the Idaho Supreme Court.

Those bar rules can be found in Chapter 7 in the section for "Information About Legal Services" which includes:

RULE 7.1: COMMUNICATIONS CONCERNING A LAWYER’S SERVICES
RULE 7.2: ADVERTISING
RULE 7.3: SOLICITATION OF CLIENTS
RULE 7.4: COMMUNICATION OF FIELDS OF PRACTICE AND SPECIALIZATION
RULE 7.5: FIRM NAMES AND LETTERHEAD
RULE 7.6: POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO OBTAIN GOVERNMENT LEGAL ENGAGEMENTS OR APPOINTMENTS BY JUDGES

Many of the attorney advertising rules related to online marketing in Idaho can be found in Rule 7.1 through Rule 7.4 in the section for Information About Legal Services in the Idaho Rules for Professional Conduct. The IRPC are based largely on the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, with some variations.

The Rules of Professional Conduct related to attorney advertising were created to ensure that all attorneys who advertise online do so in a fair and honest manner.

Before you redesign your law firm's website or start a new internet marketing campaign, it's important that you have a thorough understanding of applicable bar rules. If you are interested in finding an internet marketing and website design company that understands the bar rules, then contact our parent company, Internet Lava, LLC.

Resources for Idaho Bar Rules on Advertising Online

Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct - Visit the website for the Idaho State Bar which offers information on the two sets of Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct. Find the Idaho Rules of Professional Conduct (IRPC) that took effect on July 1, 2014 and the IRPC rules that are effective through June 30, 2014. Find Rule 7.1 that governs communications concerning a lawyer’s services and prohibits any false or misleading statement about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. The rules require that the attorney must keep a copy or recording of an advertisement for two years after its last dissemination along with a record of when and where it was used.

Formal Ethics Opinions in Idaho - Visit the Idaho State Bar website for information on opinions issued by the Idaho State Bar Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility. The Committee has been discontinued. As a result, few formal ethics opinions have been issued.

Rules for Board Certified Specialist Attorneys in Idaho

Idaho Rule 7.4 governs communication of fields of practice and specialization. The rules prohibit an attorney claiming that the lawyer is certified as a specialist in a particular field of law, unless the lawyer has been certified as a specialist by an organization that has been approved by the Idaho State Bar and the name of the certifying organization is clearly identified in the communication.

Special rules apply to attorneys who have become a board-certified specialist in Idaho and the way they advertising that designation.

This article was last updated on Wednesday, June 11, 2019.