Yes. Lawyers can advertise, and they can do it in almost any medium a business uses. Colorado’s version of Rule 7.2, which follows the ABA model, opens with a single sentence: “A lawyer may communicate information regarding the lawyer’s services through any media.” The limits sit in what the ad says, how the lawyer reaches people and who gets paid.
Advertising for Law Firms is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work. Nothing on this site is legal advice.
Where lawyers can advertise
“Any media” covers the channels firms already buy. Each comes with its own practical questions:
| Medium | What to plan for |
|---|---|
| Search results (SEO) | Practice-area pages with claims a lawyer has read; see law firm SEO |
| Google Ads | Ad text, landing pages and a budget the firm sets; see law firm PPC |
| Local Services Ads | State bar license checks for each lawyer in the firm before ads show |
| Website | Bios, contact paths and any notices your state asks for |
| Social media | Posts are fine to plan; direct messages raise solicitation questions |
| Billboards and TV | The responsible lawyer’s name, plus filing time where a state reviews ads |
The four limits that shape lawyer ads
Permission to advertise comes with conditions. Four of them show up in nearly every campaign question a firm asks.
No misleading claims
Under Model Rule 7.1, a lawyer may not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services. That includes leaving out a fact the message needs to stay honest. The comments warn that even a true past result can mislead if it creates an unjustified expectation.
Limits on solicitation
Model Rule 7.3 bars soliciting by live person-to-person contact when money is a significant motive, with exceptions. Advertising to the public is one thing; calling or approaching a specific person is another. States add their own rules. Colorado’s 7.3(d), for example, bars solicitation about a personal injury or wrongful death within 30 days of the event, with exceptions.
No paying for recommendations
Colorado’s Rule 7.2(b) says a lawyer shall not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services, but may pay “the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications permitted by this Rule”. Its comment [3] names “Internet-based advertisements” and vendors such as website designers as things a lawyer may pay for.
A responsible lawyer’s name
Colorado’s Rule 7.2(d) reads: “Any communication made under this Rule must include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.” Designers should plan room for that line from the first sketch.
Check your state’s rules
The quotes here are Colorado’s adopted text, used as an example of a state that follows the ABA model. Your state may differ in wording or in extra steps, and some states, such as Texas and Florida, review or require filing of certain ads. Ask your state bar before an ad, a lead source or a review request goes out.
Can lawyers pay for leads?
Colorado’s comment [5] says a lawyer may pay others for generating client leads “as long as the lead generator does not recommend the lawyer”, and the payment must also fit the fee-sharing and independence rules. A lawyer “must not pay a lead generator that states, implies, or creates a reasonable impression that it is recommending the lawyer”. That is why this site never recommends a lawyer to anyone. It only connects firms with a marketing agency. More in lawyer leads.
Can lawyers advertise on Google?
Yes. No Google Ads policy page dedicated to lawyers was found. The general rule applies: advertisers must follow the local laws of any area their ads target, in addition to Google’s policies. The one legal-adjacent item on Google’s restricted list is bail bonds, which may not be promoted. Local Services Ads list lawyer categories, among them personal injury, bankruptcy and business lawyers, each with state bar license checks for every lawyer in the firm.
Advertising on social media
Yes, and the same rules follow the firm there. The Florida Bar publishes a checklist that covers lawyer and law firm websites, social media pages and video sharing channels. Paid posts by others raise FTC questions too: the FTC says a connection that would affect how people weigh an endorsement should be disclosed clearly, and that a disclosure buried in the comments is easily missed. See social media for lawyers.
What a marketing agency can and cannot do here
An agency builds the campaign: pages, ads, the Google profile, the reporting. It drafts the words. It does not decide whether an ad meets your state’s rules, and neither does this site. Your state’s lawyer advertising rules apply; your firm decides what runs. That guide covers the rules in more depth.
Ready to advertise the firm? Tell us the practice areas and the market, and an independent agency can send a written proposal.
Treat this article as general information about marketing, never as legal advice. For a question about your own ads, ask your state bar or a lawyer who handles ethics questions, then send the proposal form when the firm is ready to plan.
Questions firms ask
Is it legal for lawyers to advertise?
Yes. Colorado’s Rule 7.2(a), which follows the ABA model, says a lawyer may communicate about the lawyer’s services through any media. Each state sets its own limits, so ask your state bar about yours.
What types of advertising can a law firm use?
There is no official list. Firms commonly use search, paid search ads, Local Services Ads, websites, social media, email, print, radio, TV and billboards. Each falls under the state’s lawyer advertising rules.
Can a lawyer contact a stranger who might need a lawyer?
Model Rule 7.3 bars soliciting by live person-to-person contact when money is a significant motive, with exceptions, and states add their own rules. Ask your state bar before any outreach of this kind.
Do lawyer ads have to be approved first?
In some states ads are reviewed or filed. Texas and Florida both run ad review programs. Check with your state bar whether your ad needs filing and when.
Can a lawyer pay a website or agency to advertise?
Colorado’s comment [3] says a lawyer may pay for Internet-based ads and for vendors such as website designers. Paying a source that recommends the lawyer is a different matter under comment [5].