Sweeping new restrictions on attorney advertising are apparently on the horizon as the four presiding justices of New York's appellate divisions this week agreed on comprehensive reforms of the disciplinary rules as they relate to lawyer solicitations.
The proposed new rules are so expansive and cover so many angles -- from soliciting mass tort clients to sponsoring pop-up Internet ads to using celebrity voice-overs -- that the justices have taken the unusual step of ordering a 90-day public comment period before the disciplinary standards take effect. That period runs until Sept. 15, with the rules slated to take effect Nov. 1.
The new rules were to be posted Wednesday on the court's Website at www.nycourts.gov/rules/.
Under the reform proposals embraced Tuesday, lawyers would be barred from soliciting mass tort clients within 30 days of a disaster, unless a filing requirement makes earlier contact critical. The rules also would be updated to encompass computer and Internet-based ads.
Significant restrictions would be imposed on the use of fictionalization, and lawyers would be banned from using nicknames or monikers -- such as "heavy hitter" or "dream team" -- that imply an ability to obtain results.