The Florida Bar has long struggled with what is permissible regarding lawyer advertising. Finally, a decision by U.S. District Judge Robert L. Hinkle makes some sense of the landscape. In his decision, Florida law firms may claim a legal specialization or expertise even if they aren’t board certified in a specific practice area. Other restrictions were also dropped following a survey that the public was not misled by information about attorney’s case results.

The issue of lawyer advertising has gone through numerous iterations. In December of last year, the Florida Bar board of governors repealed regulations that barred lawyers from mentioning amounts of money won in an ad if that number is ‘objectively verifiable.’ Other tight restrictions have also been loosened.

The current view is that regulations constraining the content of lawyer advertising have been unnecessarily harsh. It looks like times are changing. BoardroomPR keeps close watch on various Florida Bar rules that impact attorneys. As we like to publicize and market ourselves and our clients, the same liberty is slowly coming to law firms.