Can a lawyer's law-list listing name several clients and add 'list of references on request'?
Apply this to your situation
This page answers the general question as of 1953. Ask about yours and see what the current Texas Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.
Plain-English summary
The inquiry asked whether it would violate Canon 39 to include in a law list the names of six clients and, in addition, to state "List of references on request."
The Committee concluded that the described listing would not violate Canon 39 (7-3).
Currency note
This opinion was issued in 1953, 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 39 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 Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance.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 law-list listing name six clients and offer references on request?
A: Yes. The Committee held that such a listing would not violate Canon 39 (7-3).
Q: How divided was the Committee?
A: The vote was 7-3, so three members would have found the listing improper.
Background and rules framework
The opinion interprets former Texas Canon 39, governing the content of professional listings, applied to a law-list entry naming clients and offering references. 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 39
See also
- TX Ethics Op. 96: Newspaper Advertisement of Legal Services
- TX Ethics Op. 110: Contributor Credit Noting "Attorney"
- TX Ethics Op. 127: Classified Directory Listing Limited to One Section
Source
- Landing page: https://www.legalethicstexas.com/resources/opinions/opinion-83/
- Original PDF: https://tcle-web.s3.amazonaws.com/public/documents/Opinion_83.pdf
Original opinion text
Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.
QUESTION PRESENTED
Would it be a violation of Canon 39 to include in a law list the names of six clients and, in addition, to state "List of references on request? "
18 Baylor L. Rev. 230 (1966)
PROFESSIONAL LISTINGS
A professional listing may contain the names of 6 clients and state "list of references on request."
Canon 39.
The committee is of the opinion that the above described listing would not violate Canon 39. (7-3)
Tex. Comm. On Professional Ethics, Op. 83 (1953)
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