Can a lawyer list his name in bold-faced type in the alphabetical or classified section of a telephone directory?

Plain-English summary

The inquiry asked whether an attorney could have his name printed in a telephone directory in bold-faced type, rather than ordinary type, in the alphabetical section or in the classified section under the heading "Lawyers."

The Committee concluded that the use of bold-faced type to list an attorney's name in either the alphabetical section or the classified section of a telephone directory constitutes a form of advertising in violation of Canon 24 (8-0). The opinion cross-references Opinion 156.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1954, under the former Texas Canons of Ethics, which the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct replaced effective January 1, 1990. The advertising restrictions the opinion applies predate Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977), which held that categorical bans on lawyer advertising violate the First Amendment, so the Canon 24 framework used here has since been substantially narrowed. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance.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: Could a lawyer use bold-faced type for his telephone directory listing under this opinion?

A: No. The Committee held that bold-faced type, in either the alphabetical or the classified section, was a form of advertising in violation of Canon 24 (8-0).

Q: Did it matter which section of the directory the listing appeared in?

A: No. The opinion reached the same result for both the alphabetical section and the classified "Lawyers" section.

Background and rules framework

The opinion interprets former Texas Canon 24, the advertising provision of the Canons of Ethics, as applied to typeface in telephone directory listings. The modern analog is ABA Model Rule 7.1 (communications concerning a lawyer's services).

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

• MR 7.1 (communications concerning a lawyer's services), as the modern analog
• Texas Canon 24 (advertising)

Other opinions cited:

• Texas Ethics Opinion 156: telephone directory listings

See also

• TX Ethics Op. 127: Classified Directory Listing Limited to One Section
• TX Ethics Op. 110: Contributor Credit Noting "Attorney"
• TX Ethics Op. 122: Bar Membership in a Directory Listing

Source

• Landing page: https://www.legalethicstexas.com/resources/opinions/opinion-107/
• Original PDF: https://tcle-web.s3.amazonaws.com/public/documents/Opinion_107.pdf

Original opinion text

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

QUESTION PRESENTED

Would it violate the Canons of Ethics for an attorney to have his name printed in a telephone directory in bold-faced type, instead of ordinary type, in the alphabetical section or in the classified section under the heading "Lawyers"?

18 Baylor L. Rev. 238 (1966)

SOLICITATION - CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENT - TELEPHONE DIRECTORY
It is contrary to the principles of professional propriety for an attorney to list his name in bold- faced type in the classified section of a telephone directory.

Canon 24.

The committee is of the opinion that the use of bold-faced type in listing the name of an attorney in the alphabetical section or the classified section of a telephone directory constitutes a form of advertising in violation of Canon 24. (8-0) (See Opinion 156)

Tex. Comm. On Professional Ethics, Op. 107 (1954)