Advertising for law firms in Pennsylvania is governed by Rules 7.1 through 7.3 of the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct. While the language can feel technical, the core idea is simple: your marketing must be accurate, clear, and not misleading.
If you are running Google Ads, building landing pages, or investing in SEO, these rules apply to everything you publish. Here is what Pennsylvania law firms need to know.
What Pennsylvania Law Firms Need to Avoid
Pennsylvania follows a straightforward standard: Do not mislead the public.
Rule 7.1 prohibits false or misleading statements about your services. This includes statements that are technically true but create the wrong impression. Avoid guarantees of results, unsupported claims like “best” or “top,” and language that exaggerates outcomes. Even small wording choices can create issues if they imply more than you can support.
Truthful Advertising Requirements in PA
Pennsylvania takes a broad view of what counts as misleading. A statement can violate the rules if it creates a likelihood of misunderstanding, even if it is factually correct.
Your firm name cannot imply a connection to a government agency. You also cannot suggest lawyers are affiliated if they are not. More broadly, your marketing should reflect your actual services, experience, and practice areas. This applies across your website, ads, and landing pages.
Testimonials, Endorsements, and Portrayals
Pennsylvania places limits on how testimonials and visuals are used in legal advertising. Paid endorsements must be disclosed. Actors or dramatizations must be clearly identified, and non-lawyers cannot be presented as attorneys.
If your firm uses video, social media, or testimonial content, this is an area that often gets overlooked and can impact both compliance and credibility.
Required Information in Pennsylvania Legal Ads
Your advertising must clearly identify who is responsible for the content. This includes the name of at least one lawyer or law firm, along with contact information and your office location.
This applies across websites, digital ads, and print materials. It is a simple requirement, but one that needs to be handled correctly across all marketing channels.
Lead Generation and Solicitation Rules
Pennsylvania allows paid advertising and lead generation, but there are limits. You cannot pay for recommendations, and any referral relationships must be clear.
Direct outreach and live, person-to-person solicitation, including calls and texts, is limited. Direct mail is allowed but must still follow Pennsylvania law firm advertising standards.
When your messaging is clear and aligned with your actual services, your campaigns perform better. This is where digital marketing strategy comes in. At JSMT Media, we help Pennsylvania law firms build marketing systems that work within these guidelines. That includes:
- High-converting website design built around your practice areas
- SEO strategies that target the right local and case-based searches
- Google Ads management focused on qualified leads, not wasted spend
We can help you find success with compliant, effective digital marketing strategies. If you think we’re a good fit for your firm, reach out to us and let us know.
Need Help With Marketing Your Pennsylvania Firm?
If you are looking to improve your results with Pennsylvania lawyer advertising, PA legal advertising, or broader Pennsylvania attorney advertising guidelines in mind, we can help.
From web design to SEO to Google Ads, our team builds campaigns that attract the right clients and turn traffic into cases.
