Lawyers who have advertised exceptionally low prices on certain routine legal services appear to have lowered the price as far as their clients are concerned. But there is no hard evidence to indicate that their advertising has lowered prices generally. And larger law firms are becoming more active in their use of marketing and advertising.
Many questions remain unanswered.
Evidence that advertising contributes to the negative image of the profession is far from clear, however. Research by the American Bar Association Commission on Advertising indicates that lawyers are harsher critics of advertising by their colleagues than is the public. Yet there is a strong perception among lawyers that advertising contributes to a public sentiment that lawyers are greedy, and hurts the public's perception of lawyers. In New York, the Code of Professional Responsibility which governs the daily ethical behavior of lawyers permits attorneys to advertise in all media, solicit potential clients by direct mail and mention that they limit their legal practice to specific areas. Theoretically, advertising makes it possible for lawyers to provide less expensive services by generating a larger volume of clients.