Opinion ID: 2227325
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Lawyer Advertising.

Text: We address the claim of misconduct based on a violation of the disciplinary rules on advertising by first considering the ad itself. Although the ad may be a veiled attempt to market the sale of a book, it contains a claim attributable to a lawyer which violates our disciplinary rules on advertising. The ad prominently displays Bjorklund's name and occupation as an attorney at law following the question Have you been caught drinking and driving? and the exclamation I can help! It does not offer the book for sale or necessarily promote the book as the source of help, but mainly refers to the book as a means to validate the ability of Bjorklund to help. On its face, the advertisement is a public communication containing a claim or statement attributable to a lawyer which is self-laudatory, relates to the quality of the lawyer's legal services, and is not verifiable. These types of claims and statements violate DR 2-101(A). See Charles W. Wolfram, Modern Legal Ethics § 14.2.4, at 782 (1986) [hereinafter Wolfram]. As lawyer advertising, it also fails to include the disclosure statement required under DR 2-101(A). Additionally, the advertisement implies Bjorklund practices in an area of law involving the criminal offense referred to as drinking and driving. Bjorklund was not eligible to advertise as limiting his practice in any specific field of law at the time the advertisement appeared in the pamphlet. See DR 2-105(A). Furthermore, drinking and driving is not a permissible description of the nature of an attorney's practice or the type of cases handled by an attorney. See DR 2-105(A), (C). Notwithstanding, Bjorklund claims he did not engage in misconduct under the disciplinary rules because he was not responsible for running the advertisement. He argues the ad was placed in the pamphlet by his book publisher to promote the book he authored. The disciplinary rules governing lawyer advertising, like all of the disciplinary rules, apply only to lawyers. See Iowa Code of Professional Responsibility, Preliminary Statement. They do not apply to non-lawyers. Id. Moreover, they do not necessarily apply to lawyers who carry on business activities separate from the practice of law. See Wolfram, § 3.3.4, at 98 (a lawyer who runs a separate business should not necessarily be restricted to lawyer advertising rules). On the other hand, lawyers may not circumvent the disciplinary rules through the actions of another. DR 1-102(A)(2). They may not insulate themselves from responsibility for activities governed under the disciplinary rules by contracting to have those activities performed by a non-lawyer. Id. Furthermore, lawyers must be vigilant when engaging in a business with non-lawyers to make sure the business transactions are not inconsistent with their duties as members of the Bar. In re Rothman, 12 N.J. 528, 97 A.2d 621, 635 (1953). If the transaction is governed by the disciplinary rules, including advertising rules, a lawyer must adhere to the rules. Under our disciplinary rules, a lawyer is not only prohibited from using advertising in violation of the disciplinary rules, but must not participate in the use of such advertisement. See DR 2-101(A); see generally Debra T. Landis, Annotation, Lawyer Publicity as Breach of Legal Ethics, 4 A.L.R.4th 306 (1981). The degree of participation which gives rise to the responsibility for an advertisement under our disciplinary rules will ultimately depend upon the particular facts of each case. However, in considering the facts, it is important to recognize that lawyers are to avoid conduct which tests the disciplinary rules and are charged to aspire to a level of conduct which exceeds the minimum standards established by the rules to ensure the profession will always be marked by the highest degree of ethical conduct. Iowa Code of Professional Responsibility, Preliminary Statement. The future of the profession, ultimately, will be defined by the consciousness of each lawyer to meet this high goal. Considering the limited evidence presented at the hearing, we agree with the commission that the Board failed to establish Bjorklund placed the advertisement in the Movie Facts publication. While the ad clearly resembles lawyer advertising and some of the evidence suggests Bjorklund's role in the advertisement was greater than he acknowledged, the Board failed to establish Bjorklund placed the ad in the publication by a clear preponderance of the evidence. Nevertheless, there is ample evidence to support the conclusion Bjorklund participated in the use of the advertisement to give rise to responsibility under our disciplinary rules. Bjorklund was not an unwilling or unwitting participant in the advertisement. He authored a book on a legal subject and entered into a contract with the publisher to market the book. He engaged in a marketing discussion with the publisher and specifically suggested the book be advertised to the public in a specific medium disseminated in Iowa. Although a clear preponderance of the evidence did not show Bjorklund knew of the contents of the ad or that the contents would violate the disciplinary rules on lawyer advertising, his activities with the publisher imposed a responsibility on him to ensure the advertisement did not violate the disciplinary rules. We conclude Bjorklund participated in the use of the advertisement in violation of our disciplinary rules.