Determine if the following advertisements by an attorney are ethical or unethical. Explain your answer.
(a) A calling card, 2 inches x 2 inches in size, bearing the attorney’s name in bold print, office, residence and email addresses, telephone and facsimile numbers. (2%)
(b) A business card, 3 inches x 4 inches in size, indicating the aforementioned data with his 1 inch x 1 inch photograph. (2%)
(c) A pictorial press release in a broadsheet newspaper made by the attorney showing him being congratulated by the president of a client corporation for winning a multi-million damage suit against the company in the Supreme Court. (2%)
(d)The same press release made in a tabloid by the attorney’s client. (2%)
(e) A small announcement that the attorney is giving free legal advice on November 30, 2017 published in Balita, a tabloid in Filipino. (2%)
Suggested answer only. Not an official answer and not legal advice.
Advertisements (a), (d), and (e) are ethical, whereas (b) and (c) are unethical. Under Canon II, Section 17 of the CPRA, legal practice is a public service, not a trade. Permissible advertising is strictly limited to modest, dignified
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This is not an official scoring system and carries no weight with the Supreme Court or any bar review provider. It measures how much of the suggested answer's wording your response covers, not whether your reasoning is correct. For practice only.
Quick check
Which of the following business card features renders an attorney's calling card ethically impermissible?
Adding a personal photograph and non-customary dimensions transforms a professional card into prohibited commercial self-promotion.
Why is a lawyer-initiated newspaper press release celebrating a multi-million court victory considered unethical?
Self-laudatory press releases issued by a lawyer violate ethical rules against commercializing the legal profession.
When is a newspaper publication regarding an attorney's courtroom success ethically permissible?
Independent media coverage or press releases initiated solely by a client without lawyer procurement are ethically acceptable.
Under Canon II of the CPRA, why is a modest newspaper announcement offering free legal advice considered ethical?
Choices available with full access.
What fundamental principle governs permissible information sharing regarding an attorney's practice?
Choices available with full access.
Learn more about these topics
1. Dignified Business Cards
Under Canon II, Section 17 of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), a lawyer may make use of dignified, modest professional cards containing basic contact details. Customary calling cards serving simple identification purposes are ethically permissible. However, expanding business cards to unusual dimensions or adding personal photographs degrades the professional nature of legal practice by transforming a dignified identification tool into an unethical commercial advertisement.
2. Self-Laudatory Releases
Self-laudatory press releases and self-aggrandizing media announcements issued by a lawyer are strictly unethical. Promoting courtroom victories, multi-million damage awards, or published photographs celebrating legal successes improperly commercializes the legal profession and solicits clients. In contrast, independent media reporting or press releases initiated solely by satisfied clients without lawyer procurement do not violate ethical advertising rules.
3. Legal Aid Announcements
Modest announcements informing the public of free legal assistance or pro bono services are ethically permissible. Legal aid notices published in newspapers serve a commendable public service function by enhancing access to justice for underserved communities. So long as such announcements remain dignified and avoid self-aggrandizing commercial praise, publishing notices regarding free legal advice aligns with the noble character of the legal bar.