Administrative Office of Courts
Supreme Court seeks comments on lawyer advertising rule changes The Mississippi Supreme Court seeks public comments on proposed changes to rules governing lawyer advertising. Comments should be submitted in writing to the Clerk of the Supreme Court, Gartin Justice Building, P.O. Box 249, Jackson, MS 39205. The deadline is Oct. 31. Changes adopted May 29 but suspended pending further consideration include:
A comment in the draft states, "Rule 7.2(c) requires advertisements to contain a geographic office location because experience has shown, in the absence of such a regulation, members of the public have been misled into employing a lawyer in a distant city or another state, only to later learn that the lawyer is rarely available to the client." The draft would require that a copy or recording of an advertisement be submitted to the Office of General Counsel of the Mississippi Bar. The new proposal lists 12 exemptions from the requirement. Telephone directory advertisements, business cards, letterhead and office signs are among the categories exempt. The proposal states that a lawyer may request an advisory opinion from the Office of General Counsel concerning the compliance of a contemplated advertisement. When the Office of General Counsel determines that an advertisement or communication is not in compliance with the rules, the office may advise the lawyer that continued use of the material may result in professional discipline. A copy of the entire draft proposal is available on the Supreme Court's web site, http://courts.ms.gov/. Go the NEWS page. #### |