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Advocates barred from advertising their 

INTRODUCTION Advocates in India are barred from advertising their services or their profession under the rules

formulated by the Bar Council of India. The roots of this law are based in the age old Victorian

notions of British Common law. The conception of legal services as a „noble profession‟, rather 

than services has resulted in the formulation of such a restraint. This law justifies itself under the

garb of public policy and „dignity of profession‟; allowing the advocates to advertise would not

only pave way to potentially misleading the public, but also to „degrade the dignity‟ of the

honorable profession.

Despite this prohibition, there are many ways in which a lawyer intending to advertise himself 

does it cleverly, concealing the obviousness of his act at the same time. For instance, the issue

of circular letters or election manifestos by an advocate with his name profession and address is

an indirect means of advertising, which is followed by a number of practicing advocates in the

Courts though illicitly.

THE LEGAL BACKGROUND

In the year 2008, the Bar Council of India Rules was amended in order to liberalize the strait-

 jacketed law governing advocate advertising.

The Bar Council of India, pursuant to its functions mentioned under Section 7(1)(b) of the

 Advocates Act,1961 read with its powers to make rules under Section 49(1)(c),has framed Rule

36 of the Bar Council of India Rules under Section IV(Duty to Colleagues) of Chapter 

II(Standards of Professional Conduct and Etiquette) of Part IV(Rules Governing Advocates).

Rule 36 reads as under-

“36. An advocate shall not solicit work or advertise, either directly or indirectly, whether by

circulars, advertisements, touts, personal communications, interviews not warranted by personal

relations, furnishing or inspiring newspaper comments or producing his photographs to be

published in connection with cases in which he has been engaged or concerned. His sign-board

or name-plate should be of a reasonable size. The sign-board or name-plate or stationery should

not indicate that he is or has been President or Member of a Bar Council or of any Association or 

that he has been associated with any person or organisation or with any particular cause or 

matter or that he specialises in any particular type of worker or that he has been a Judge or an

 Advocate General.” 

It can be clearly seen that this rule completely disallows the advocate from employing any means

to intimate the client of his very existence. These go on to include visiting cards, directory listings

and seminar and felicitation ceremonies too. Even the sign plate or name board used should be

of a moderate size [2] .Recently, The Bar Council of India passed a resolution on 30th April,

2008 [3] in front of a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice B N

 Aggarwal that advocates will be allowed to advertise on the internet. The bench was hearing a

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petition filed by an advocate, V B Joshi, in the year 2000, challenging Rule 36, Section IV of the

BCI rules which prohibits the legal fraternity from advertising their services.

 A proviso was added to Rule 36 of the Bar council of India Rules, consequent to this resolution,which reads as follows-

“PROVIDED that this rule will not stand in the way of advocates furnishing website information as

prescribed in the Schedule under intimation to and as approved by the Bar Council of India. Any

additional other input in the particulars than approved by the Bar Council of India will be deemed

to be violation of Rule 36 and such advocates are liable to be proceeded with misconduct under 

Section 35 of the Advocates Act, 1961 [4] .” 

By bringing an amendment to the said rule, the Bar Council of India resolved that the advocates

could furnish the information on their chosen websites by mentioning their names, telephone

numbers, e-mail IDs and professional and educational qualifications. Justice S H Kapadia, whowas part of the bench perusing the amended notification, suggested that advocates may also

state their areas of specialisation and years of experience. [5] 

Though this amendment is still fraught with a number of restrictions, it is still a welcome reform

amongst the legal circles, who only a decade back in a notice dated 21st Ocober,1999, were

directed to pull their entries from www.martindale.com, an online legal directory. [6] 

POSITION IN OTHER COUNTRIES

In England

India has borrowed its no advertising for advocates rule from the age old Victorian ideas but

today the law has been updated to suit the requirement of the hour. The law governing

advertisements is contained in the Solicitors Publicity Code of 2007 [7] . The only constraint is

the requirement that the advertising by a solicitor must not demean his independence and

integrity and must not bring the profession to shame.

Sending brochures and leaflets is now common though larger and well established firms do less

advertising than the well established practices. The law governing advertising by barristersallows them to engage in any advertising or promotion, which is in accordance to British Codes

of advertising and sales promotion. These advertisements can include photographs or other 

illustrations of the barrister, statement of rates and methods of charging; statement about the

nature and extent of barristers‟ service; information about any case in which the barrister 

appeared all this information has been publicly available.

In United States of America

In U.S. the position was somewhat similar to that in India until 1977. There was a complete ban

on advertising for legal professionals. This position turned around after the decision of the U.S.

Supreme Court on 27th June 1977 in the case of Bates v. State Bar of Arizona [8] . The

Supreme Court allowed legal advertising and outlawed the law of State Bar of Arizona when it

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was found that such a law was violative of First Constitutional Amendment as was held by a

majority of 5:4. Prior to this case, the US Supreme Court held that bonafide legal advertising

should not be prohibited as there is nothing wrong in it. But the states are allowed to regulate and

monitor the advertising by advocates. This is known from the later judgments given by the state

Supreme Courts which have upheld the laws regulating and restricting certain practices of legal

advertising [9] .

In Asian Countries

 Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia have been progressively relaxing

their regulations on legal advertising to adapt to global demands. For instance, Malaysia‟s Legal

Profession (Publicity) Rules, passed in 2001 [10] is a simple yet comprehensive code that

regulates advertisements in legal and non-legal directories, controls publication of journals,

magazines, brochures and newsletters by lawyers and interviews in electronic and print media,

bars publicity through clients and even includes a rule that regulates lawyers sending greeting

cards on special occasions.

In Hong Kong, lawyers are forbidden from advertising on television, radio and cinema. Though

advertising in print is permissible, larger firms prefer alternative strategies such as engaging in

aggressive client and public relations programs and branding exercises.

In Singapore the legal advertisements are allowed with certain restrictions.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

The idea of advocate advertising is alluring, yet it comes with its own shortcomings precisely the

reason for which it is still not completely allowed in our country.

The pros of introducing an amendment in the rules regarding advocate advertising would be-

Informed choice - probably the biggest advantage of this change would be the amount of 

awareness that would be catered to the general public. People would not have to depend on the

word of mouth or a friend-of-friend to recommend them a lawyer; rather they could make their 

choice on the merit of the lawyer.

Opportunity to novice lawyers and firms- it would prevent monopolizing of the market. Advertising

would let the lesser known firms or advocates keep a check on the other well known firms and

advocates by way of imposing a threat, as now there are more options that the public is aware of from which it can avail the same service.

Modulate the „advertising methods‟ already in place- the fact is not that advocates have no

means by which they advertise themselves despite the restriction imposed by the Rules. There is

„Toutism‟, touts are persons who procure business in consideration of commission moving from

legal practitioner [11] . There have been instances of brief snatching too [12] !

 A set of rules regulating advertising would not only regulate these malpractices, but also uphold

he purpose for which they were undertaken.

The cons introducing an amendment in the rules regarding advocate advertising would be-

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Gross misuse- probably the biggest advantage, putting it in the words of one of the Supreme

Court judges of the U.S.A.-„there is some abuse in the use of everything.‟ The clean chit to

advertise would most likely be fully exploited by unscrupulous advocates and firms by furnishing

dishonest information.

Unbiased choice- it is hard to say for sure that the public would definitely not be swayed by thegraphics or the punch lines in the advertisements, and base their decision on a flimsy ground.

 Awareness to the public through advertisements will always be carried at the cost of a chance of 

misguiding them instead.

Shifting of focus- the legal world would have a new focus, competition to make better jingles or 

art work rather than improving on the legal acumen. And clearly better advertisements were

never proportional to better lawyers.

However, the fact remains that there still are indirect methods of advertising already in place and

therefore, we are suffering from all the cons mentioned above, only that because it has not been

formally allowed to advertise, we cannot enjoy the pros.

RECOMMENDATION

The amendment in Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules in 2008 hence, allowing advocates

to advertise on the website has been indeed a welcome gesture but we need much more than.

India no longer is an isolated country not connected with the world. Other countries attempting to

trade with India will need lawyers to understand our legal system. To make their choice they just

have websites or online directories with their names and areas of specializations, they are not

even blessed with access to information through the grapevine!

The Bar Council of India must bring about the change by bringing about the freedom to advertise

by advocates but by employing reasonable restrictions. Bar associations around the world have

formed their own code for the professional ethics to be maintained by the advocates.

The American Bar Association has laid down Model Rules of Professional Conduct which lay

down criteria in accordance with which he attorneys are allowed to advertise.

 According to Rule 7.3(a) [13] -

“a) A lawyer shall not by in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic contact solicit

professional employment from a prospective client when a significant motive for the lawyer'sdoing so is the lawyer's pecuniary gain, unless the person contacted:

(1) is a lawyer, or 

(2) has a family, close personal or prior professional relationship with the lawyer.” 

This non-solicitation rule follows the longstanding policy against lawyers directly soliciting clients.

This is designed to prevent what is euphemistically called "ambulance-chasing," which gives

visions of lawyers descending on accident victims by following the sounds of sirens.

 Also under Rule 8.3 (a) [14] of the same Model Rules-

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“a lawyer that becomes aware of an ethical violation by another lawyer is also obligated to report

such violation to the respective state governing body.” 

Thus, the check on a lawyer is extended by his own colleagues and the sole responsibility

doesn‟t lie with the supreme governing body.

Similarly, England follows The Solicitor‟s Code of Conduct, 2007 which again lays down the rules

in the parameters of which the advocates and advertise.

The code clearly states in Rule 7.03 [15] -

“(1) You must not publicize your firm or practice by making unsolicited approaches in person or 

by telephone to a member of the public.

(2) "Member of the public" does not include:

(a) a current or former client;

(b) another firm or its manager;

(c) an existing or potential professional or business connection; or 

(d )a commercial organisation or public body.” 

The current position is that, advertising is not allowed but the catch here is that it is only „legally‟

not allowed although it is prevalent all the same. Time has come to take a big step ahead,

revamp the rules to suit India‟s needs now not only in the domestic sphere, helping the smallfirms and struggling lawyers, but also in the international context. Or else, we as a country might

lose out on many a lucrative offers, as the saying goes-

“The cod fish lays ten thousand eggs, the homely hen lays one, the cod fish never cackles, to tell

you when she is done; and so we scorn the cod fish, while the humble hen we prize, which only

goes to show you that it pays to advertise.” 

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In India, the cumulative effect of the Advocates Act, the Rules of the Bar Council of India and other professional

bodies is that lawyers are prohibited to advertise their services. Lawyers may not solicit clients and cannot do

anything that might influence the decision of a potential litigant from engaging one or the other lawyer. Even if a

lawyer argues a case brilliantly, the newspapers may report the issue but the publication of the lawyer's name inthe report is frowned upon. Consequently, a person intending to buy an automobile has more information and

research resources at his disposal than someone intending to entrust critical litigation to an advocate. A litigant

exposed to the vagaries of the judicial system in India for the first time has no way to draw up a short list of 

practitioners specializing in that particular branch of law; there is no single place or agency which can possibly

supply a list of "good" lawyers to the lay person.

The majority of clients are therefore at the mercy of "friend of a friend" for their legal requirements. The legal

profession works more by oral referrals than by any standardized criterion for grading lawyers. Litigants forced to

enter the court system for the first time seldom have any idea about the usual fees for similar cases either.

Unlike many other legal systems, the Indian lawyers and law firms are disallowed from many measures that

would greatly benefit the public at large. For example, a website by a family law specialist or a rent law barristerwhere essays or monographs about the law are published, or where the public at large can get relevant

information would be classified simply as an advertisement and is thus proscribed.

The prohibition on advertising or information dissemination is usually attributed to and rationalized by the age-

old homily about the law being a "noble profession". All attempts at a dialogue so far have been snubbed simply

by hiding behind the excuse that members of this lofty profession ought not to degrade themselves by hawking

their wares. However in the age of information, these excuses can rarely be sustained. The consumer of legal

services, like the consumer of any other services (including medical services from a doctor etc.) is entitled to look 

for and obtain the best value for his money. The litigant must be able to find an advocate within his paying

capacity and whom he can trust. There has to be some mechanism from where an impartial evaluation of the

lawyer, his track record, and competence in various disciplines can be obtained.

One of the possible methods can be to permit limited advertising, possibly through "infortising". The Bar Council

can possibly lay down standards within which the lawyers may be allowed to advertise or publish information,

which, apart from attracting new business for the lawyer, provides an opportunity for the practitioners to share

information or legal analysis with prospective clients. Lawyers who have written articles, treatises or monographs

on some aspects of the law or on specific judicial pronouncements already enjoy the right to have them

published in the journal sections of law reports. Unfortunately, these scholarly pieces are rarely available to the

public at large since these reports do not enjoy wide circulation amongst non-lawyers. Allowing lawyers to

publish these articles and analyses in their in-house brochures, newsletters or on websites would be a healthy

step.

 As long as the "advertising" is not just gratuitous; and promotes legal awareness and gives the litigants an

opportunity to evaluate the calibre of their potential counsel, advertising per se ought not to be barred. In many

countries now, the legal profession itself provides a way for litigants to find the lawyer best suited to their needs.

The Bar Council of England and Wales introduced its own benchmark for lawyers way back in 1999. Called the

Barmark, it indicates that chambers comply with the Bar Council's Practice Management Standards and

Guidelines. This kitemark, which is regularly reviewed, sets standards of best practice for administering

chambers.

Barristers' chambers regularly update their websites on the internet. These websites usually carry detailed

curriculum vitae of the practicing barristers, their achievements etc. These websites also routinely carry

information on the practice areas of interest of each individual as well as links and references to judgments incases where that lawyer had appeared. The websites also carry sufficient contact details for the chambers. Since

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every chamber enjoys the same right to put up a website, this privilege does not tilt the playing field. On the

contrary, it is a very valuable resource for the lay people. It is now high time that the Bar Council and each

advocate in India realize that the legal system is not just about the lawyers. The Bar Council must not confine its

activities to the welfare of the legal community. The Bar has a greater role to play, as the first line of contact

between the lay public and the lawyers.

Many of the malpractices that lawyers commit for obtaining work, which are commonly acknowledged in private,

but seldom publicly admitted, can be better addressed if " infortising" is accepted into our system. The legal

profession is undoubtedly a noble profession. But at the same time, it is catering to the needs of the public at

large. It must therefore open itself up to the scrutiny of the public and appear reasonable and accountable. This

is even more relevant today as the legal services sector in India is likely to be thrown open to 'foreign lawyers'.