Pennsylvania Code
Title 204 - JUDICIAL SYSTEM GENERAL PROVISIONS
Part V - PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND CONDUCT
Subpart A - PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY
Chapter 81 - RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
Subchapter A - RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
INFORMATION ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES
Rule 7.4 - Communication of Fields of Practice and Specialization
Universal Citation: 204 PA Code ยง 7.4
Current through Register Vol. 54, No. 44, November 2, 2024
(a) A lawyer may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or does not practice in particular fields of law. A lawyer shall not state that the lawyer is a specialist except as follows:
(1) a lawyer admitted to engage in patent
practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office may use the
designation "patent attorney" or a substantially similar designation;
(2) a lawyer engaged in admiralty practice
may use the designation "admiralty," "proctor in admiralty" or a substantially
similar designation;
(3) a lawyer
who has been certified by an organization approved by the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania as a certifying organization in accordance with paragraph (b) may
advertise the certification during such time as the certification of the lawyer
and the approval of the organization are both in effect;
(4) a lawyer may communicate that the lawyer
is certified in a field of practice only when that communication is not false
or misleading and that certification is granted by the Supreme Court of
Pennsylvania.
(b) Upon recommendation of the Pennsylvania Bar Association, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania may approve for purposes of paragraph (a) an organization that certifies lawyers, if the Court finds that:
(1) advertising by a lawyer of certification
by the certifying organization will provide meaningful information, which is
not false, misleading or deceptive, for use of the public in selecting or
retaining a lawyer; and
(2)
certification by the organization is available to all lawyers who meet
objective and consistently applied standards relevant to practice in the area
of the law to which the certification relates. The approval of the certifying
organization shall be for such period not longer than five (5) years as the
Court shall order, and may be renewed upon recommendation of the Pennsylvania
Bar Association.
Comment:
(1) This Rule permits a lawyer to indicate
areas of practice in communications about the lawyer's services; for example,
in a telephone directory or other advertising. If a lawyer practices only in
certain fields, or will not accept matters except in such fields, the lawyer is
permitted so to indicate. However, stating that the lawyer is a "specialist" is
not permitted unless the lawyer has been certified as a specialist by a
certifying organization approved under the procedure of paragraph (b). The
standards in paragraph (b)(1) and (2) are intended to comply with the
requirements for advertising claims of specialization set forth in Peel v.
Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois, 496 U. S. 91,
110 L.Ed.2d 83, 110 S.Ct. 2281 (1990).
Disclaimer: These regulations may not be the most recent version. Pennsylvania may have more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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