Ezel / Ethics Opinions / WSBA

Can a lawyer associated with a firm be described as a 'consultant' on the firm's business cards?

Short answer The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit using the term 'consultant' on a business card to describe a Washington lawyer associated with the firm.
Bar
WSBA
Issued
1990

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1990. Ask about yours and see what the current Washington Rules of Professional Conduct says for your facts, with citations.

Currency note: this opinion is from 1990
Subsequent statutory amendments, court decisions, or later opinions or rule amendments may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current legal advice. Verify current law before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or remedy mentioned here.
Disclaimer: Advisory only. Not binding precedent.
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

The inquiring firm asked whether it could use the term "consultant" on business cards to describe a Washington lawyer associated with the firm. The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit use of such a term.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1990, before the Washington State Bar Association's adoption of the 2006 revisions to the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance.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: Can a firm call an associated lawyer a 'consultant' on its business cards?

A: Under this 1990 opinion, yes; the committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit use of the term to describe a Washington lawyer associated with the firm.

Q: Did the committee impose any conditions on using the term?

A: The opinion states only that nothing in the rules would prohibit the term; it did not attach conditions in the facts it reviewed.

Background and rules framework

At the time of this opinion, Washington's RPC 7.4 addressed communication of a lawyer's fields of practice, the subject the Model Rules place in Rule 7.4. The committee found no rule barring a firm from describing an associated Washington lawyer as a "consultant" on a business card.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

  • ABA Model Rule 7.4 (communication of fields of practice)
  • Washington RPC 7.4

See also

Source

Original opinion text

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

The Committee reviewed your inquiry concerning the use of the term "consultant" on business cards to describe a Washington lawyer associated with your firm. The Committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit use of such a term.

What do the rules say today, for your facts?

This opinion is from 1990. Ezel checks the current Washington Rules of Professional Conduct against your situation and cites the rules it relies on.

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