One of the best scenes from the movie Revenge of the Nerds (1984) is when Lambda Lambda Lambda is making a killing selling pies.  Alpha Beta, and the competing fraternities, cannot figure out why they are selling ordinary pies like hotcakes?  There has to be trick.  Sure, enough, under the pies (which seemed quite ordinary from a glance), there was something inappropriate under the pies that was causing people to want to buy them like hot cakes.

If you are running a law firm and trying to get the marketing going efficiently, do everything above-board.  Make sure there is nothing under those pies. Make sure you know the Rules of Professional Conduct in your jurisdiction as it relates to advertising.  Make sure you follow each and every one of them.

The reality is you can market efficiently and effectively while following the rules.  Most of the rules that relate to advertising are relatively easy to navigate.  Model Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 and 7.2 have some of the guidelines you want to watch, but it’s important to check your local rules because the requirements can vary.

In many instances, you may want to consult another attorney who focuses their practice in legal ethics or who has vast experience in the rules that relate to lawyer advertising.

Some attorneys think that with the ethical rules in place, it’s safer not to advertise at all.  After all, many think the rules are difficult and cumbersome to navigate.

The reality is that once you know the rules well and become fluent in them, you can advertise in an effective manner that is in compliance.   So, when others look under the pies to see why you are doing so well with your law firm marketing, you can rest easy knowing that everything you are doing complies with the requirements.

If you have any thoughts, feel free to share them below.