• Arizona Republic, Monday, November 28, 2005 11:30 AM

Noting that advertising for lawyers and legal services got its start with a local case nearly 30 years ago, leading eventually to national ads both in print and on television, the Arizona Republic has published an assessment of the business in its current state. Conclusion: The ads can be informative and useful, but a tight watch must be maintained over ethical guidelines, which vary from state to state. Most major law firms remain averse to advertising, especially in consumer periodicals and on TV, but those that directly approach potential litigants, says the Arizona paper, generally do so within the bounds of community taste. Still, criticism of firms that advertise, particularly on TV, is not hard to find. Among the most vocal critics is Grant Woods, a former state attorney general in Arizona. His beef is with "bottom feeders who demean us all." He is especially unhappy with personal-injury law firms that operate on volume "and have no intention of going to trial." In the end, it's a matter of both style and substance. Matt Silverman, a spokesperson for the state bar in Arizona, says, "Some of the firms that heavily advertise get a lot of complaints, some don't. Advertising a lot doesn't make a firm less ethical. It comes down to how they treat their clients."

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