Could a Vermont lawyer list CPA, financial planner, and engineer credentials on firm letterhead and advertising?
Apply this to your situation
This page answers the general question as of 1988. Ask about yours and see what the current Vermont Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.
Plain-English summary
A lawyer who was also a certified public accountant, certified financial planner, and professional engineer wanted to list all four qualifications on legal letterhead, business cards, and advertising. Earlier Opinion 83-2 had treated the same conduct as prohibited by DR 2-102(E).
The committee explained that the Vermont Supreme Court had since deleted DR 2-102(E), removing that categorical ban. Assuming the lawyer actually held the other qualifications, the committee found no violation of former DR 2-101's rule against false or misleading communications.
Currency note
This opinion was issued in 1988 under Vermont's former Code of Professional Responsibility. The Vermont Supreme Court's rules history states that the Rules of Professional Conduct applied to lawyer conduct after September 1, 1999. Later amendments or opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this opinion as historical context and verify current rules before relying on it.
Common questions
Q: Did the former prohibition on listing other professions still apply?
A: No. The opinion says the Vermont Supreme Court had deleted DR 2-102(E), the provision on which Opinion 83-2 relied.
Q: What condition did the committee attach to listing the credentials?
A: Its analysis assumed the lawyer was actually qualified in the other professions. The remaining test was whether the listing was false or misleading under DR 2-101.
Background and rules framework
The opinion distinguishes its result from Opinion 83-2 because the rule that supplied the earlier categorical prohibition had been deleted. It applies former DR 2-101 to the proposed listing.
Citations and references
Rules of Professional Conduct:
- Vermont Code of Professional Responsibility DR 2-101 and former DR 2-102(E)
Other opinions cited:
- Vermont Advisory Ethics Opinion 83-2, the earlier holding under DR 2-102(E)
See also
Source
- Landing page: Vermont Bar Association advertising opinions
- Original PDF: Opinion 88-10
- Vermont Supreme Court rules history, “These rules apply to lawyer conduct after September 1, 1999.”
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