• New York Law Journal via Yahoo, Friday, October 27, 2006 12:15 PM

Expressing concerns over the constitutionality and fair enforcement of proposed restrictions on attorney advertising, major bar groups are urging New York court administrators to seek a narrow and focused response to the ills of lawyer self-promotion.

With the Jan. 15 projected effective date coming up, several bar groups have submitted reports to the Office of Court Administration. And while none flatly rejected either the proposed rules or the need for them, they did not fully embrace the idea either. The proposed rules largely follow recommendations adopted earlier this year by the New York State Bar Association.

They cover solicitations of mass tort clients, fictionalizations and celebrity voiceovers, and attempt to clamp down on deceptive and misleading ads. But they also address tasteless ads, and would implement new controls on the way lawyers communicate with potential clients, raising free-speech questions.

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