May a lawyer list civil litigation certification on firm letterhead, and is a disclaimer required?

Short answer The opinion permits the certification on letterhead but says Rule 4-7.4 requires a disclaimer that neither the Missouri Supreme Court nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying bodies or specialist designations.

Bar

MOLEC

Issued

1997

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1997. Ask about yours and see what the current Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.

How much weight this carries: Under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 5.30, formal opinions are binding; informal opinions are advisory. Source.

About this page: The plain-English summary, reader guidance, and Q&A below were written by Ezel based on the official ethics opinion. The original opinion (linked on this page) is the authoritative source for any reliance.

Plain-English summary

A lawyer considering National Board of Trial Advocacy certification in civil litigation asked whether that credential could be listed on firm letterhead.

The opinion permits listing the certification. It says doing so triggers Rule 4-7.4’s disclaimer that neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1997, before Missouri's 2007 revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context and verify current rules before relying on it.

Common questions

Q: May the civil litigation certification appear on letterhead?

A: Yes. The opinion permits the credential on the firm letterhead.

Q: What disclaimer does the opinion require?

A: It says the letterhead must state that neither the Missouri Supreme Court nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applies Rule 4-7.4 to a proposed statement about trial advocacy certification on a law firm’s letterhead.

Citations and references

Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct:

Rule 4-7.4

Source

Landing page: https://mo-legal-ethics.org/informal-opinion/970110/
Rule revision reference: Missouri Informal Opinion 20030007

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

QUESTION: Attorney plans to take the certification test pertaining to the National Board of Trial Advocacy. In the event Attorney passes and is certified in the area of civil litigation, may Attorney note on the firm letterhead that Attorney is a member of the National Board of Trial Advocacy and is certified? Must a disclaimer be added to the letterhead? ANSWER: Attorney may include the certification on firm letterhead, but to do so triggers the requirement of Rule 4–7.4 to include a disclaimer that neither the Supreme Court of Missouri nor The Missouri Bar reviews or approves certifying organizations or specialist designations.

What do the rules say today, for your facts?

This opinion is from 1997. Ezel checks the current Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct against your situation and cites the rules it relies on.

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