In recent years, there has been an explosion of law-related Web sites marketing legal services in novel ways. It may seem that there are no ethical constraints on lawyers' conduct on these sites, but any attorney who goes online with a blind eye to ethical rules does so at great peril. The diversity of legal sites has bred an equally dizzying array of marketing models. Some sites offer real-time chats with lawyers. Some have message boards on which people can post legal questions that may be answered by attorneys, nonlawyers or both.
Some sites provide services for free, but sell ads and sponsorships.
Other sites have fixed user fees. The bottom line is to woo an audience and develop a viable, revenue-producing business plan. Amid this Net-based legal boom, the question of ethical ramifications for lawyers who participate on these sites has gone largely unaddressed. Many attorneys unwittingly may be dispensing legal advice and undertaking other actions for which they may be held accountable. A number of ethical rules apply to lawyers' online activities, including those governing advertising, solicitation, unintended attorney-client relationships and unauthorized practice of law.