1. What is attorney advertising?
Attorney advertising is any communication made by a lawyer or law firm about the lawyer or law firm concerning the legal services offered by the lawyer or law firm. In the case of the quarterly filing of domain names, only websites used by attorneys primarily to offer legal services should be filed.

2. What must attorneys do to comply with the mandatory filing rules regarding attorney advertisements?
Sections 2-28A and Rule 14 of the Statewide Grievance Committee Rules of Procedure require attorneys, with limited exceptions, to file a copy of a legal advertisement with the Statewide Grievance Committee prior to or concurrently with the first dissemination of it. It is not necessary to obtain prior approval of advertising before mandatory filing. The filing must be done electronically through Judicial Branch E-Services. You can view a tutorial here. In light of certain technical restrictions, a portion of some filings (e.g. multi-media advertisements) will be done by non-electronic means.

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3. Are some types of advertisements exempt from filing?
Yes. Section 2-28A(b) of the Connecticut Practice Book provides that the mandatory filing requirements do not extend to the following:

1. An advertisement in the public media that contains only the information, in whole or in part, contained in Rule 7.2 (i) of the Rules of Professional Conduct, provided the information is not false or misleading;

2. An advertisement in a telephone directory;

3. A listing or entry in a regularly published law list;

4. An announcement card stating new or changed associations, new offices, or similar changes relating to an attorney or firm, or a tombstone professional card;

5. A communication sent only to:

   1. Existing or former clients;

   2. Other attorneys or professionals; business organizations including trade groups; not-for-profit organizations; governmental bodies and/or

   3. Members of a not-for-profit organization that meets the following conditions: the primary purposes of the organization do not include the rendition of legal services; the recommending, furnishing, paying for or educating persons regarding legal services is incidental and reasonably related to the primary purposes of the organization; the organization does not derive a financial benefit from the rendition of legal services by an attorney; and the person for whom the legal services are rendered, and not the organization, is recognized as the client of the attorney who is recommended, furnished, or paid for by the organization.

6. Communication that is requested by a prospective client.

7. The contents of an attorney's website(s). Attorneys must provide the domain name(s) (URLs) of the website(s) only and must do so only on a quarterly basis. Domain names are filed quarterly at E-Services under Attorney Advertising. Attorneys need not provide the domain names for websites that are not used primarily to advertise legal services; this includes social media used for personal purposes.

If you have a question about whether your advertisement is exempt from mandatory filing, contact the Statewide Grievance Committee at Attorney.Advertising@jud.ct.gov or at (860) 568-5157.

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4. I have an advertisement that appears in Connecticut but I am not admitted here. Do I have to comply with the mandatory filing rules regarding attorney advertising?  
Yes. Attorney advertising is considered the practice of law in Connecticut. Rule 8.5 of the Rules of Professional Conduct extends the State’s disciplinary jurisdiction over any attorney who practices here, whether or not he or she is admitted.

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5. I am admitted in Connecticut but practice law in another jurisdiction for a firm or practice that advertises. Do I have to comply with the mandatory filing rules regarding attorney advertising?
Yes, if the firm is advertising for Connecticut clients; this includes situations where the firm intends to have a national presence in a practice area.

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