New York’s lawyer advertising rules labeled draconian and micromanaging

Dennis Kennedy says New York’s proposed new advertising rules for lawyers are likely to lead to draconian and micro-managing rules.

At the same time Law.com has an article with judges and other architects of the rules patting themselves on the back for getting these rules through.

Fact is most folks would laugh at how foolish the legal profession looks when it passes regulations with the premise being to protect the consumer. God forbid a lawyer share a testimonial from a satisfied client or hand out a pamphlet with consumer legal information where the lawyer’s name is in a font smaller than that of the title of the pamphlet. Both of course will be illegal conduct in New York.

For those of my many readers who are not lawyers, you can see why the legal profession has an awful profession. We go around passing rules that make us look like idiots and prevent us from helping you the consumer. Then to make matters worse, we’ll spend years in hearings on grievances over alleged illegal conduct interpreting the new rules. Great stuff.

Now I know there are well intentioned portions of the proposed rules. But overall, worrying about stuff like this, as opposed to helping people who need legal assistance and patting those lawyers on the back who are helping people via the Internet, is a step in the wrong direction.