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Editor: Ben W. Glass
Profession: Attorney at Law

Category: Ethics and Regulation

I am starting to have more and more lawyers from Florida contact me to point out just how crazy the Florida State Bar's advertising committee's decisions are. Plus, I'm subscribing to the Florida Bar News because.....well, ....because....

Consider two recent rulings regarding the rule that prohibits consumers from finding out whether you have any past successes or not:

Here's what the advertising committee ruled on appeal (according to a recent article on advertising ethics in the Florida Bar News on Advertising Ethics):

The following language refers to past successes and violates the rule:

[Lawyer] has successfully prosecuted and defended actions in Florida and Federal Courts.

The following phrase does not refer to past successes:

[Lawyer] is a civil trial lawyer who has acted as trial counsel in diverse matters including a $53 million **** securities fraud class action.

So, it's OK to tell them you were there and maybe got your butt kicked in a $53 million dollar securities fraud class action but heaven forbid you tell them you were successful in anything.

That's just plain dumb.