In re Petition for Review of Committee on Attorney Advertising Opinion 39

Brief of the Federal Trade Commission, as amicus curiae, urging the New Jersey Supreme Court to vacate a ruling of the Committee on Attorney Advertising appointed by that Court, which had ruled that advertisements by attorneys publicizing their designation by organizations as “Super Lawyers,” “Best Lawyers in America,” or the like are impermissible. The Commission pointed to the beneficial effects that non-deceptive advertising by attorneys can have for consumers of legal services and the availability of other means of assuring that attorney ratings are not used deceptively. The Commission further urged the Court to amend its Rules of Professional Conduct to clarify that only false or misleading comparative advertisements by attorneys are prohibited.