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Saturday, July 22, 2006

Law - "Superlawyers" must not flaunt status [Updated]

"Lawyer Ads Cannot Tout ‘Super’ Status" is the headline to this story today in the NY Times regional section:

TRENTON, July 21 — They may be pronounced “Super Lawyers” by a magazine supplement, and their names may appear in a “Best Lawyers in America” directory. But under a decision by a State Supreme Court committee, these best-credentialed and best-paid New Jersey lawyers may no longer advertise those honors.

The court’s Committee on Attorney Advertising said in an opinion this week that such advertising violated a rule against ads that are “comparative in nature.” The committee found that that “this simplistic use of a media-generated sound bite title clearly has the capacity to materially mislead the public.”

Moreover, the opinion prohibited all advertising by lawyers in a supplement of The New Jersey Monthly magazine, even if the ads do not use the words “super lawyer,” because a reader might see the same names in the ads and text and conclude that the label confers a recommendation.

The “Super Lawyers” are named in an annual advertising section of the monthly magazine that is later published as a stand-alone issue. * * *

The “Best Lawyers in America,” published by Woodward/White Inc., is a national referral guide that does not contain advertising. The committee noted, however, that the publication had started advertising supplements in some areas of the nation.

Michael L. Rodburg, the managing partner of Lowenstein Sandler of Roseland, N.J., which had more than 30 “super lawyers” and advertised in the section, said in an interview Friday that the firm had removed the reference from its Web site and other materials.

Hmm, this might easily become an issue in Indiana and other states.

Thanks to How Appealing for the link; I didn't see this when I leafed through today's paper.

[Updated 7/23/06] Michael Stevens of the Kentucky Law Blog picks up this story today and runs with it. Read his entry here.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 22, 2006 10:00 PM
Posted to General Law Related