Ethics Opinions
Iowa Supreme Court Board of Professional Ethics and Conduct

Date of Opinion: 09/06/2000

Opinion Number: 00-04

Title: ADVERTISING: GROUP TV

Opinion: In response to Formal Opinion No. 99-14 (Law Lists: Injury Helpline), the promoter of that television advertising program has modified it for use in Iowa. The program will be structured to comply with Canon 2 of the Iowa Code of Professional Responsibility for Lawyers regarding advertising content and required disclosures. Changes will include:

1. The trade name “Injury Helpline” will be deleted from the advertisement.

2. Language in the audio portion of the advertisement telling the viewer to call the 800 number now and “speak to a lawyer near you for free” will be replaced with the following: “Call the 800 number now and speak to the lawyer listed for your area for free.”

Given the foregoing, it is the opinion of the Board that the joint advertising program offered by R. W. Lynch Company is group advertising and not a lawyer referral service. It is the further opinion of the Board that the program as modified would not violate the Iowa Code of Professional Responsibility for Lawyers and that participation therein by Iowa lawyers would not be improper.