You Can’t Say That on a Law Firm Website: A Guide to Bar-Compliant Content

Next, we look at the rules in every state where the firm practices or directs its marketing. This takes more time because every jurisdiction does things a little differently, and those requirements can change.

Let’s look at Alabama. The state substantially revised its lawyer advertising rules effective January 1, 2026. Under the current Alabama Rule 7.2, lawyers no longer need to place one general disclaimer on every covered communication. Instead, particular disclosures may be required depending on what the communication says, where the lawyer is licensed, whether the firm has an Alabama office, how fees are described, and whether the advertisement discusses results or testimonials.

Mississippi, however, takes a different approach. Its rules require lawyers and firms that advertise their availability to maintain written background, training, and experience information for potential clients. Covered advertisements must also let readers know that free background information is available upon request. (The Mississippi Bar’s lawyer-advertising guidance provides additional information about the state’s rules and website requirements.)

We’re about to get into some linguistic weeds here, but the basic point is that “expert” isn’t always interchangeable with “highly skilled,” at least when it appears in lawyer advertising.

Words can carry narrower and more consequential meanings in a professional context. Calling an attorney an “expert” may be understood as more than enthusiastic marketing language. Depending on the jurisdiction and the surrounding content, it could suggest a recognized qualification, a particular level of professional standing, or an objectively verifiable basis for the claim.

The rules aren’t identical everywhere. The comment to ABA Model Rule 7.2 generally permits lawyers to describe their concentration or specialization based on experience, training, or education, as long as the statement complies with the rule against false or misleading communications. A claim that an attorney is certified as a specialist, however, requires an approved certification and identification of the certifying organization.

Individual states may impose stricter requirements. Florida’s lawyer-advertising rules, for example, restrict the use of terms such as “expert,” “expertise,” “specialist,” and “specializes” unless the attorney has an applicable recognized certification.

Because law firm websites may be viewed across jurisdictions, MeanPug generally avoids those terms unless the firm has confirmed that the language is accurate, supportable, and permitted where it will be used.

Fortunately, we don’t need them to communicate that an attorney is highly capable. We can rely on facts:

• The attorney has practiced for 20 years.
• The firm has handled a particular type of matter.
• The lawyer concentrates their practice in a particular field.
• The attorney has completed relevant training.
• The lawyer holds an applicable certification, accurately identified by name.
• The firm has achieved specific, verifiable results, presented with any required context or disclaimers.

Those details tell prospective clients more than simply calling someone an “expert,” and they’re easier to substantiate. We’re not in the habit of creating avoidable ethics problems for our clients, so unless there’s a sound reason to use the term, “expert” has to go.

If you’ve ever wondered why your content team lets certain language appear on a practice area page but hesitates to put it in an attorney bio, it usually comes down to context.

Practice area pages primarily describe the work the firm handles. Attorney bios describe an individual lawyer’s background, experience, credentials, and professional standing. Because the language is attached directly to a particular attorney, readers may understand it as a representation about that lawyer’s personal qualifications.

That doesn’t mean practice area pages get a free pass. Under ABA Model Rule 7.1, all communications about a lawyer or the lawyer’s services must be truthful and not misleading. Even a technically accurate statement can create a problem if the surrounding context encourages readers to draw a conclusion that doesn’t have a reasonable factual basis.

But the wording may still need to change depending on where it appears.

Those statements work because they rely on facts that can be verified.

We become more cautious when the language shifts from describing experience to assigning status:

• “Jane is an expert in trucking litigation.”
• “Jane is the leading medical malpractice lawyer in the state.”
• “Jane is uniquely qualified to handle catastrophic injury claims.”
• “Jane gets better results than other attorneys.”

Those claims may imply certification, superiority, exclusivity, or comparative performance. They need more than enthusiastic copywriting behind them, and some jurisdictions may restrict them even when the firm believes they’re accurate.

Attorney bios are still marketing content, but they’re also professional representations about a particular person. That’s why we pay close attention to every credential, award, experience claim, and description of the lawyer’s work.

Let’s talk about disclaimers for a bit, shall we?

Most firms are familiar with some version of the “this isn’t legal advice” and “past results don’t guarantee future outcomes” language that appears in website footers and on results pages.

But those aren’t the only disclosures a law firm website may need. Depending on the firm’s jurisdictions, content, services, and site features, we may consider several different categories:

1. General website and informational-use disclaimers
2. Attorney-client relationship disclaimers
3. Results, verdicts, and settlement disclaimers
4. Testimonial and review disclaimers
5. Specialization or certification disclosures
6. Jurisdictional and licensing disclosures
7. Attorney-advertising notices
8. Information-accuracy and currency notices

The language isn’t one-size-fits-all. Some disclosures are specifically required by a jurisdiction. Others provide context for claims that might otherwise create an inaccurate impression.

The comment to ABA Model Rule 7.1 explains that truthful information about a lawyer’s achievements may still be misleading if it creates an unjustified expectation that another client will receive the same result. It also notes that appropriate qualifying language or a disclaimer may help prevent that impression.

The important word there is may.

A disclaimer can clarify the meaning or limitations of an otherwise accurate statement. It can’t make a false claim true, support a comparison that has no factual basis, or override a rule that prohibits the underlying language.

Here are some common types of language we may consider:

When we build a website, we make sure the privacy policy and related disclosures reflect the site’s actual forms, tracking tools, integrations, and data practices.

Even a relatively simple law firm website may collect information through contact forms, analytics, cookies, call-tracking technology, chat tools, scheduling platforms, or embedded third-party services. Visitors should be able to understand what information is collected, why it’s collected, how it may be used or shared, and what choices they have.

This isn’t because the ABA Model Rules contain one universal rule requiring every law firm website to publish a privacy policy. But the rules do provide important context.

Comment 8 to ABA Model Rule 1.1 says lawyers should stay informed about the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology. ABA Model Rule 1.6 also requires reasonable efforts to prevent unauthorized access to or disclosure of information relating to a client’s representation. Together, those principles reinforce why firms need to understand the technology operating on their websites and the information moving through it.

Depending on the website and the laws that apply to the firm, a privacy policy may need to address:

• The information the website collects
• How and why that information is used
• Contact forms and information submitted by visitors
• Cookies, analytics, and similar technologies
• Third-party tools and service providers
• How information may be shared or disclosed
• Data retention practices
• Security measures, described without making promises the firm can’t support
• User rights and privacy choices
• Jurisdiction-specific disclosures
• Updates to the policy
• Contact information for privacy questions

The policy should also work together with the rest of the website. For example, a contact form may need to explain that submitting information doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship and shouldn’t be used for confidential or time-sensitive information unless the firm says otherwise.

And the language shouldn’t be copied from a generic template without checking it against the site. A privacy policy that says the firm doesn’t use tracking technologies won’t be very helpful if the site is running analytics, advertising pixels, chat software, and call tracking in the background.

Some jurisdictions require substantially more detail from businesses that meet particular legal thresholds. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, for example, covered businesses must provide notices explaining their privacy practices and certain consumer rights, including rights relating to access, deletion, correction, and the sale or sharing of personal information. Whether that law applies to a particular firm depends on the business and its data practices; being a law firm or having California website visitors doesn’t automatically answer the question.

The important thing is that the privacy policy is accurate, understandable, and consistent with the website’s actual technology and practices.

Privacy policies and related disclosures are part of our website-build process. For an existing site, we can review the current language alongside its forms, cookies, analytics, chat tools, and other integrations to identify places where the policy and the website may no longer line up.

MeanPug’s guide to technical SEO for lawyers also discusses privacy and data collection as part of maintaining a modern law firm website.

Everything we’ve already discussed — including disclaimers, privacy, restricted language, and factual support — can apply across the firm’s content.

If we wouldn’t describe an attorney as a “specialist” on a practice area page without confirming that the claim is accurate and permitted, we won’t casually add it to an attorney bio page, FAQ video, blog, social media post, or email campaign either.

The format may change, but the need for clear and supportable language doesn’t.

For content we create and publish directly, we can control the copy and presentation. Things get a little more complicated when an outside publisher, platform, or vendor is involved.

A strong client review is worth highlighting. But once a law firm chooses to feature that review on its own website, the quote becomes part of the firm’s marketing and needs another level of scrutiny.

We’ve previously explored how important reviews are for law firms. Here, the key distinction is between a review someone posts independently on a third-party platform and a testimonial the firm chooses to publish on its own website.

The firm may not control every word that appears on Google, Yelp, Avvo, or another outside platform. Once the firm copies, selects, or prominently features that review on its website, however, it becomes part of the firm’s own communication about its services. That means we need to review both the quote and the context in which it will appear.

Under ABA Model Rule 7.1, communications about a lawyer’s services must be truthful and not misleading. Even an authentic client statement can create a problem if it’s presented in a way that suggests another client should expect the same outcome or that an unsupported claim is objectively true. Appropriate qualifying language may help in some circumstances, but it won’t make every testimonial acceptable.

We don’t rewrite reviews to make them more impressive or materially change what the client said. But we may need to excerpt, format, or omit language that creates a misleading claim, provided the final quote remains accurate and doesn’t change the client’s meaning.

If Jane Doe describes you as “the best attorney I could’ve had, hands down,” we may be able to publish that as Jane’s clearly attributed personal experience, depending on the jurisdiction and surrounding context.

But if the testimonial says, “Call John Smith. He’ll get you money guaranteed,” we shouldn’t publish that statement simply because a former client wrote it. A disclaimer underneath it wouldn’t erase the guarantee.

The same goes for something like, “Call ABC Law Firm because they’re better than every other law firm in Springfield.” That’s an unsupported comparison, not merely an enthusiastic description of one client’s experience. Unless there’s a valid factual basis and the applicable rules permit the claim, it shouldn’t become website copy.

Before publishing a testimonial, we consider:

• Whether the client has authorized the firm to use their name and statement
• Whether the quote accurately reflects what the client wrote or said
• Whether it reveals information relating to the representation
• Whether any confidential details require the client’s informed consent
• Whether the testimonial discusses results or implies a guarantee
• Whether it makes an unsupported comparison or claim about quality
• Whether the jurisdiction requires a particular disclaimer
• Whether the placement, headline, or surrounding copy changes its meaning

ABA Model Rule 1.6 generally prohibits lawyers from revealing information relating to a representation without the client’s informed consent or another recognized basis. A client’s willingness to leave a public review doesn’t necessarily give the firm permission to publish additional details about the matter.

Bar-compliant writing doesn’t mean stripping all the personality out of your website. It means replacing risky or unsupported claims with clearer, more specific language you can actually substantiate.

We can say that an attorney has 20 years of experience or that a firm’s attorneys have 40 years of combined experience, as long as those numbers are accurate and presented clearly.

We can identify awards using their official names, years, and categories. We can describe the types of matters the firm handles, an attorney’s relevant training, and the jurisdictions where the lawyers are licensed.

We can also discuss verdicts, settlements, and other case outcomes when the firm is permitted to share that information and the results are presented with any necessary context or qualifying language.

What we shouldn’t do is turn those facts into guarantees, unsupported comparisons, or claims of professional status that the firm can’t substantiate or the applicable rules don’t permit.

Bar-compliant writing doesn’t have to be boring. In many cases, it’s simply more specific. Instead of telling readers you’re the best, show them what you’ve done, whom you help, and what relevant experience you bring to the work.

And if you still have questions about how we approach content review or what goes into a website audit, ask the MeanPug team. We’re always happy to talk shop about what your firm can say, what may need a closer look, and how we approach the review process.

Attorney-advertising and privacy requirements vary by jurisdiction and may change. Firms should review the rules that apply to their practice and consult ethics or privacy counsel when appropriate.

• ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct
• ABA Model Rule 1.1: Competence
• ABA Model Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Information
• ABA Model Rule 1.18: Duties to Prospective Clients
• ABA Model Rule 5.3: Responsibilities Regarding Nonlawyer Assistance
• ABA Model Rule 7.1: Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services
• ABA Model Rule 7.2: Communications Concerning a Lawyer’s Services
• ABA Model Rule 7.3: Solicitation of Clients
• Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct
• Mississippi Bar Lawyer Advertising Guidance
• Florida Bar Advertising Guidance
• California Consumer Privacy Act Guidance
• Super Lawyers Attorney Advertising Guidance
• Best Lawyers Publicizing Guidelines