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CONTACT PERSON: VALERIE WILLARD
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
(504) 310-2590
| JUNE 4, 2009 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Chief Justice Catherine D. Kimball announced today that the Court’s recently-adopted amendments to the Rules of Professional Conduct pertaining to lawyer advertising have been further amended in response to recommendations received from the Louisiana State Bar Association.
The Court initially amended the attorney advertising rules in June, 2008 following a lengthy study conducted by the Louisiana State Bar Association, recommendations of the LSBA House of Delegates, and further study by a Court Committee chaired by Chief Justice Catherine D. Kimball, which were triggered by a 2006 Senate Concurrent Resolution.
On February 18, 2009, the Court deferred implementation of the rules until October 1, 2009 and asked the LSBA to further study certain rules in light of the constitutional challenges that have been raised. On April 15, the LSBA provided the Court its “Findings and Recommendations of the LSBA Rules of Professional Conduct Committee Re: New Lawyer Advertising Rules and Constitutional Challenges Raised,” and upon review, the Court adopted the recommendations of the LSBA Rules of Professional Conduct Committee and amended the rules accordingly.
The new rules resulting from the additional review balance the right of lawyers to truthfully advertise legal services with the need to improve the existing rules in order to preserve the integrity of the legal profession, to protect the public from unethical and potentially misleading forms of lawyer advertising, and to prevent erosion of the public’s confidence and trust in the judicial system. The effective date of the new rules remains October 1, 2009.
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