At a Glance

Alabama’s substantial changes to Rules 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3 took effect January 1, 2026. The current rules address office disclosures, testimonials, results, referral-heavy practices, online tracking, search advertising and targeted outreach in unusually concrete detail. An older Alabama checklist can miss central requirements.

Rule 7.2(a) requires six-year records for covered communications. Rule 7.3 adds targeted-solicitation requirements, including its own two-year sample-and-recipient record provision. The current operative personal-injury and wrongful-death timing restriction is more than 21 days after the relevant accident, event or disaster. The May 13, 2025 adopting order replaced the Rule 7.3 comment effective January 1, 2026; older 30-day language still reproduced in the individual rule PDF is historical, not a competing current waiting period. The updated commentary excludes from its retention, disclosure and disclaimer requirements communications that are not motivated by pecuniary gain, contain no representations about the lawyer, and neither seek nor offer legal employment. It also excludes lawyer communications required by law, such as litigation class notices, from those requirements. These are specific exceptions, not a general exemption for anything labeled educational or charitable.

Rules 7.1, 7.2(a), 7.3

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.1 · Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.3, current operative text plus retained historical commentary · May 13, 2025 adopting order (Rule 7.3 and its current comment: Appendices E and F; effective January 1, 2026)

Who Regulates

The Supreme Court of Alabama promulgates the Alabama Rules of Professional Conduct. The advertising rules repeatedly identify the Alabama State Bar’s Office of General Counsel as the office entitled to receive records and substantiation on request. Rules 7.1 through 7.5 are the central sources for this guide.

Rule 8.5 subjects Alabama-admitted lawyers to Alabama disciplinary authority even when practicing elsewhere. It also reaches lawyers not admitted in Alabama who provide or offer legal services in the jurisdiction, and recognizes that the same conduct can fall under more than one jurisdiction’s disciplinary authority. The updated advertising comments expressly address communications to Alabama prospective clients. Multijurisdictional campaigns still need a fact-specific jurisdiction and choice-of-law review. Rule 7.2(s) contains a limited exception for a communication disseminated outside Alabama by an Alabama-admitted lawyer: the lawyer must also be admitted in that other jurisdiction, the communication must comply with its rules, and the communication reasonably must not be expected to reach Alabama residents. This is an exception to Rule 7.2, not a blanket exemption from all professional obligations.

Rules 7.1, 7.2(s), 7.5, 8.5

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.1 · Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.5 · Alabama Rule 8.5

What Counts as Advertising

Rule 7.1 governs communications about legal services and prohibits materially false or misleading statements, omissions, unjustified expectations, improper quality comparisons and certification claims outside Rule 7.4. A literally true statement can still mislead by inviting an unsupported conclusion.

Rule 7.2 permits lawful media subject to the rules. Its comments cover websites, social-media pages, professional-networking profiles, paid presentations and certain press releases. Solicitation is narrower: the updated Rule 7.3 comment describes a communication directed to a specific person known or reasonably understood to need legal services in a particular matter.

General billboards, web pages and social posts not directed to a particular individual with a particular legal matter are not solicitation under that description. They can still be covered advertising. Strictly educational articles that do not solicit employment receive specific disclosure-and-retention treatment in the Rule 7.2 commentary; adding an intake pitch can change the analysis.

Rules 7.2, 7.3, 7.4

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.3, current operative text plus retained historical commentary · May 13, 2025 adopting order (Rule 7.3 and its current comment: Appendices E and F; effective January 1, 2026) · Alabama Rule 7.4

Required Disclosures

Rule 7.2(b) requires clear and prominent disclosure when an identified or appearing lawyer is not licensed in Alabama, or when the communicating lawyer or firm has no bona fide Alabama office. The communication must identify the relevant bona fide office location: at least one appearing or identified lawyer’s office, or, when the firm rather than an individual is featured, at least one firm office where the services will be performed.

The commentary also requires the name and location of a lawyer taking responsibility for the communication. Under Rule 7.2(b)(5), a lawyer-referral service must disclose the referred lawyer’s bona fide office location when making the referral.

The commentary defines a bona fide office by substantial, regular and continuing legal service activity. An address alone does not establish it. Truthful statements about availability by appointment or consultation are discussed separately; they do not permit a false impression of an established local office.

Disclosures must be readable or understandable, remain visible long enough, and accompany the relevant information. Spoken disclosures have cadence, speed and volume requirements. Required language must appear in each language used in the relevant communication, with a limited exception for merely saying that a language is spoken.

The updated comment expressly says a general disclaimer is no longer required for every covered communication. That does not eliminate the specific disclosures. A no-recovery/no-fee claim must clearly disclose any client responsibility for litigation costs or expenses if there is no recovery.

When the advertised lawyer normally or probably will refer the matter elsewhere rather than handle it, Rule 7.2(j) prescribes one of two conspicuous statements, depending on the arrangement: “MOST CASES OF THIS TYPE ARE NOT HANDLED BY THIS LAWYER/FIRM BUT ARE REFERRED TO OTHER ATTORNEYS” or “MOST CASES OF THIS TYPE ARE REFERRED TO OTHER ATTORNEYS FOR PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITY.” Paragraph (j) also separately prohibits communicating that the lawyer handles a practice area in which the lawyer does not currently practice or intend to practice. The referral statement should not be treated as permission to disregard that restriction.

Rules 7.2(b)(5), 7.2(j)

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.2

Filing, Review & Recordkeeping

Rule 7.2(a) requires the communication and specified date, recipient/contact and delivery-method records to be retained for six years after dissemination and promptly produced on request. Build the archive when the campaign launches, not after a complaint.

Rule 7.3(e)(1) separately requires samples of covered solicitation communications and envelopes plus recipient records for two years. Where identifying specific addresses is not reasonably possible for a multiple-recipient communication, it calls for a sufficient group-identification record. Do not read that two-year provision as permission to discard overlapping records still subject to Rule 7.2’s six-year period.

The current Rule 7.2 text reviewed does not impose universal advance approval or routine submission of every advertisement. The May 13, 2025 order amended the Rule 7.2 and Rule 7.3 comments to the text in its appendices; older submission and blanket-disclaimer references reproduced in the individual PDFs should not be treated as current mandates. Any separate campaign-specific filing requirement remains a prepublication check.

If fees are advertised, Rule 7.2(f) binds the lawyer to perform the services at the stated fees for at least 90 days after the last communication referencing them.

Rules 7.2(f), 7.3(e)(1)

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.3, current operative text plus retained historical commentary · May 13, 2025 adopting order (Rule 7.3 and its current comment: Appendices E and F; effective January 1, 2026)

Results, Testimonials & Comparisons

Rule 7.2(l) permits testimonials subject to real, direct and personal legal experience, a legitimate basis for the statement, and plain, prominent disclosure of compensation or anything of value given or promised. The lawyer remains responsible for accuracy and misleading content. Uncontrolled, unsolicited third-party reviews are discussed differently from reviews the lawyer arranges or can remove from controlled media.

Rule 7.2(m) allows specific results only with the type of matter, objective verification and a nonmisleading presentation. The commentary identifies context that may matter, including who achieved the result, collection, default or uncontested proceedings, appeal reductions and results obtained outside Alabama. Aggregate totals must also be supportable result by result. Client confidentiality is not waived by advertising permission.

Do not promise a particular result. Do not assume a disclaimer cures an unsupported comparison or a misleading award. Rule 7.1 retains its prohibition on comparing the quality of services, except as provided in Rule 7.4. Its older results-and-endorsements commentary sits alongside newer, detailed Rule 7.2 permissions, an important review point rather than a reason to omit either provision.

Rule 7.2(n) requires a prominent dramatization label for depictions of actual events and for fictional events a reasonable prospective client would not recognize as fictional. An actor cannot portray the promoted lawyer, and client portrayals are restricted to nonspeaking background roles. Actual authority figures have a limited former-client exception; actor portrayals of authority figures as endorsers are prohibited.

Rules 7.1, 7.2(m), 7.2(n), 7.4

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.1 · Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.4

Specialization & Certification

Rule 7.4 permits truthful descriptions of practice fields but restricts stating or implying specialist status. Its comment expressly includes “specialist,” “specialty” and “specializes in.” Do not substitute one of those terms for an ordinary practice-area description without checking the rule.

The rule recognizes patent-practice and admiralty designations in specified circumstances. Certification advertising requires an approved certifying organization and identification of that organization. Verify the particular organization’s current Alabama approval before using its credential. A generic national credential or a marketing disclaimer is not an automatic substitute.

Alabama Rule 7.1

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.1

Firm, Trade & Domain Names

Rule 7.5 permits trade names that do not imply a government, public or charitable connection and do not otherwise violate Rules 7.1 or 7.4. The name, logo and page design should communicate the real organization, not suggest a public legal-aid service.

A multijurisdictional firm can use its other-jurisdiction name if compliant. Its letterhead must identify a named lawyer’s lack of Alabama licensure where applicable. The name of a public-office holder must not be used during a substantial period when that lawyer is not practicing with the firm.

The updated Rule 7.1 commentary also rejects implying that lawyers practice together when they do not. A shared campaign or referral arrangement is not itself a shared firm. The updated Rule 7.2 commentary also requires care with a former or retired government official’s title when that person is practicing law: the title must follow the name and the communication must make the former status clear. Its example permits “Jane Doe, former circuit judge,” not “Judge Doe (retired).”

Rules 7.1, 7.2, 7.4

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.1 · Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.4

Solicitation & Direct Contact

Rule 7.3(a) prohibits the specified unsolicited live, in-person or real-time contact when the lawyer knows or reasonably should know of the person’s legal need and pecuniary gain is a motive. Exceptions include another lawyer, former or current clients and family members. The updated comment treats lawyer-initiated text messages as real-time solicitation; email is not categorically prohibited by that paragraph, but other restrictions remain.

Rule 7.3(b) restricts outreach about accident-related personal injury or wrongful death until more than 21 days have passed. For the described pending civil or administrative proceeding, service must have been obtained and filed with the appropriate court. For a pending criminal proceeding, the prospective client must have been served with a warrant or information more than seven days earlier.

Other prohibitions address existing representation in the matter, refusal of contact, coercion, misleading statements and vulnerable recipients. Lawyers cannot use intermediaries to evade the rule or collect a fee for employment obtained in violation of it.

Permitted targeted communications have detailed labels, opening language, information-source disclosure, sample-contract markings and privacy requirements. Rule 7.3(i) prescribes the targeted mail/email opening: “ADVERTISEMENT. IF YOU HAVE ALREADY RETAINED A LAWYER FOR THIS MATTER, PLEASE DISREGARD THIS COMMUNICATION,” with conspicuous presentation. Paragraph (e)(6) contains related first-sentence wording; campaign counsel should reconcile their overlapping application rather than silently pick a generic substitute.

Review the full rule for envelope markings, electronic subject lines, audio/video openings, prohibited restricted-delivery methods and “SAMPLE ONLY”/“DO NOT SIGN” formatting. These are production requirements, not optional footnotes.

Rules 7.3(b), 7.3(i)

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.3, current operative text plus retained historical commentary · May 13, 2025 adopting order (Rule 7.3 and its current comment: Appendices E and F; effective January 1, 2026)

Channel-Specific Notes

Rule 7.2(r) prohibits manipulating or purchasing search results in a way that causes a prospective client mistakenly to contact the advertiser instead of the lawyer searched for. The updated comment does not categorically ban competitive keywords: separated, clearly identified sponsored links are treated differently from identity confusion.

The commentary also addresses tracking and retargeting. The potential client must be told information is being accessed and consent, through an acceptance mechanism or continued access after disclosure as described in the comment. This ethics guidance does not replace a separate privacy-law analysis.

Short-form digital disclosures may use a link only under the comment’s conditions: the information must be accessible with one click or keystroke and must be in the first link available in the communication. That is not blanket permission to bury every required disclosure on an unrelated footer page.

Rule 7.2(h) allows usual permitted communication costs and specified exceptions to the prohibition on paying for recommendations. These include qualifying nonprofit referral arrangements, certain charitable sponsorships, nonexclusive disclosed reciprocal referrals and nominal appreciation gifts not intended as compensation. Under paragraph (h)(1), paying another lawyer’s advertising costs outside the same firm requires an agreement to work together and jointly represent clients in the referenced matter, consistently with the other rules.

The updated Rule 7.3 comment adds that, for reciprocal referrals, the client must be fully informed in writing of the agreement’s existence and nature before the referral and agree to it. A lead seller’s label does not determine whether the actual arrangement complies.

The updated Rule 7.2 comment prohibits presenting a lawyer communication as a medical alert, health alert, public-service announcement or similar description. It also prohibits suggesting that recipients disregard medical advice or avoid or discontinue recommended treatment. These are important limits for injury and drug/device campaigns.

Paid legal-information programming that also solicits employment can require both paid-placement and advertisement disclosures, including repeated disclosures after interruptions. Firms and agencies should review the full creative, landing page, intake route and compensation arrangement together.

Rules 7.2(h), 7.3

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.3, current operative text plus retained historical commentary · May 13, 2025 adopting order (Rule 7.3 and its current comment: Appendices E and F; effective January 1, 2026)

Recent Changes & Scope

Reviewed November 12, 2026 against the official current-linked Rules 7.1–7.5 and Rule 8.5, and the May 13, 2025 adopting order effective January 1, 2026. The official Rule Changes index’s professional-conduct category listed no later amendment as checked on that date. That is a finding about the published index, not proof that no unlisted order, statute or ethics opinion affects a campaign.

The adopting order resolves the historical Rule 7.2/7.3 comment issue by replacing those comments. Rule 7.1 was handled differently: the order adopted a new comment, and this guide does not infer that all older Rule 7.1 commentary was expressly rescinded. Before publishing an advertisement, complete the campaign-specific statutory and ethics-opinion review, reconcile overlapping solicitation opening requirements, verify certification approvals and recheck amendments. Campaign-specific legal review is still needed.

Rules 7.1, 7.2, 7.5, 8.5

Read source: Alabama Rule 7.1 · Alabama Rule 7.2 · Alabama Rule 7.5 · Alabama Rule 8.5

Official Sources

Read the official rules alongside other applicable law and obtain campaign-specific advice.

1. Alabama Rule 7.1Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
2. Alabama Rule 7.2Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
3. Alabama Rule 7.3, current operative text plus retained historical commentaryOfficial source · Checked November 12, 2026
4. Alabama Rule 7.4Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
5. Alabama Rule 7.5Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
6. Alabama Rule 8.5Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
7. May 13, 2025 adopting order (Rule 7.3 and its current comment: Appendices E and F; effective January 1, 2026)Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
8. Official Rule Changes indexOfficial source · Checked November 12, 2026