May a law firm put its name and occupation on office windows and doors, and on how many, and what wording may a shingle carry?

Plain-English summary

A county bar association asked whether law firms or attorneys may place their names and occupations on the windows of their offices and, if so, how many windows may be used. The committee answered that while it is proper to designate the location or entrance to a law office by a proper professional notice, placing a firm name on additional doors or windows is unethical, and that a shingle or door may state no more than the lawyer's name and a term such as "attorney," "attorney at law," "lawyer," "counselor at law," or "law offices," singular or plural, in neat and professional lettering.

The committee grounded the conclusion in Canon 27, which forbids direct or indirect advertising and solicitation. It said that although designating the office entrance with a proper professional shingle is ethical, the wording and lettering must be in professional good taste or it becomes advertising. The test it stated is whether the sign is intended and calculated to help persons looking for a lawyer they have already selected find him, or instead to attract the attention of the public or of persons who might be looking for a lawyer though not for him.

The committee acknowledged that lawyers and firms in many Oklahoma towns were in violation, and that window signs had become an accepted custom in smaller cities and towns, but said that custom does not excuse the use of lettering and signs on windows, which it called simply a cover for solicitation or advertising and professionally improper. Any wording other than that permitted, such as notary public, tax consultant, or investment counselor, is wholly improper. The permitted lettering may be used only on a shingle or door to designate the office's location or entrance, and if the sign is unusual in proportion or designed to attract the public's attention it becomes advertising and is improper. It cited ABA Opinions A131 to A136 and Informal Opinion C-510.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1966, decades before Oklahoma replaced its original Rules of Professional Conduct (patterned on the ABA Canons of Professional Ethics) with the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct (adopted 1988) and the later Ethics 2000 revisions. The advertising restrictions underlying this opinion no longer reflect current law: the United States Supreme Court held in Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977), that categorical bans on truthful lawyer advertising violate the First Amendment, and office signage is treated differently today. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against current rules before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or requirement mentioned here.

Common questions

Q: How many windows or doors could carry the firm name?

A: Only one proper professional notice may designate the office entrance. The committee said placing the firm name on additional doors or windows is unethical.

Q: What wording could a lawyer's shingle carry?

A: Only the lawyer's name with a term such as "attorney," "attorney at law," "lawyer," "counselor at law," or "law offices," in neat professional lettering. Anything more was treated as improper.

Q: Could a lawyer add "notary public" or "tax consultant" to the sign?

A: No. The committee said any wording other than the permitted terms, such as notary public, tax consultant, or investment counselor, is wholly improper.

Q: Did the common custom of window signs make them acceptable?

A: No. The committee acknowledged the custom in smaller towns but said it does not excuse the practice, which it viewed as a cover for solicitation or advertising.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applied Canon 27 of the Canons of Professional Ethics, adopted in Oklahoma, which bars advertising and solicitation, to law-office signs, shingles, and window lettering. It framed the test around whether a sign merely helps a client find an already-chosen lawyer or instead attracts the public. It cited ABA Opinions A131 to A136 and Informal Opinion C-510. The opinion predates the Model Rules and made no Model Rule citation.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

• Canon 27 (ABA Canons of Professional Ethics, adopted by the Oklahoma Bar): bars direct or indirect advertising and solicitation; office signs must be in professional good taste or they become advertising.

Other opinions cited:

• ABA Committee on Professional Ethics Opinions Nos. A131 to A136 and Informal Opinion C-510.

See also

• Okla. Bar Ethics Op. 233: Lawyer listings in telephone directories
• Okla. Bar Ethics Op. 231: "Counsel" listing in a savings and loan statement of condition
• Okla. Bar Ethics Op. 219: Announcing availability to serve other lawyers

Source

• Landing page: https://www.okbar.org/ethics/ethics-opinion-no-236/

Original opinion text

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

Adopted February 16, 1966

INQUIRY

A County Bar Association has asked whether or not law firms or attorneys may place their names and or occupations on the windows of offices occupied by them and if so, how many windows may be used.

1. ADVERTISING–While it is proper to designate the location or entrance to a law office by proper professional notice, the placing of a firm name on additional doors or windows is unethical.

2. ADVERTISING–It is improper for a lawyer, firm or partnership to state on their shingle or door any more than their name and the words attorney, attorney at law, lawyer, counselor at law, or law offices either singular or plural, in neat and professional lettering.

Canon 27 forbids advertising or soliciting, either directly or indirectly, by a lawyer. And while it is ethical to designate the location of or entrance to a law office by a proper professional shingle, the wording and lettering upon such shingle, or sign, or notice must be in such form as to designate professional good taste, otherwise it becomes advertising. The test is whether the sign is intended and calculated to enable persons looking for a lawyer already selected, or to find him, or to attract the attention of the public or persons who might be looking for a lawyer although not him.

This Committee is aware that lawyers and law firms in many towns in this state are in violation of this opinion and that the use of signs upon windows has become an accepted custom in the smaller cities and towns. However, this does not excuse the improper action of the use of lettering and signs upon windows, which is simply a cover for solicitation of business or advertising. We think that it is professionally improper.

Any wording, other than designated above, upon a shingle, notice, or door, of a law office, such as notary public, tax consultant, investment counselor, or any other occupation is wholly improper.

We hold that the lettering and wording designated above may be used only upon a shingle or a door to designate the location of or entrance to the law office. If such sign or shingle is unusual in proportions and is painted, printed, or designed in such a way calculated to attract the attention of the public, then it is advertising and is improper.

See Opinions A131 to A136 inclusive, and Informal Opinion C-510, of the Committee on Professional Ethics of the American Bar Association.