At a Glance

• Advertising is permitted subject to truthfulness and solicitation restrictions.
• Include a responsible lawyer or firm’s name and office address.
• Covered solicitations require “This is an advertisement,” including in email subject lines.
• Sections 3-507.1–3-507.4 contain no general ad filing, advance-review or fixed retention requirement.
• Certification claims require an approved or ABA-accredited certifying organization, identified in the communication.
• Firm-name guidance is in § 3-507.1; § 3-507.5 is reserved.

Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct, §§ 3-507.1–3-507.5

Read source: Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct, §§ 3-507.1–3-507.5

Who Regulates

The Nebraska Supreme Court regulates admission, discipline and professional standards. The Counsel for Discipline investigates and prosecutes alleged violations of the court’s professional-conduct rules. Official ethics opinions can assist with interpretation, but they should not be described as court approval of a proposed advertisement. Nebraska professional ethics; Counsel for Discipline.

Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

What Counts as Advertising

Section 3-507.1 covers all communications about a lawyer’s services. Section 3-507.2(a) permits written, recorded and electronic advertising, including public media. A website, paid search campaign, social post, brochure or promotional video therefore needs review under the same basic standards.

Direct outreach also implicates § 3-507.3. Its disclosure paragraph addresses written, recorded or electronic communications soliciting professional employment from a prospective client. Do not assume that a campaign is exempt merely because a vendor distributes the messages or because the first contact is electronic. §§ 3-507.1–3-507.3.

§ 3-507.3; § 3-507.1

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Required Disclosures

Section 3-507.2(c) requires the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for the communication.

Under § 3-507.3(c), covered solicitations must include “This is an advertisement” on the outside envelope, if any, at the beginning and end of recorded or electronic communications, and in an email’s subject line. The wording must use type at least as large as the print of the address and appear in a conspicuous place on the envelope or postcard. Recipients who are lawyers or have the specified family, close personal or prior professional relationship are excepted.

Comment [7] explains that the label does not apply to communications responding to requests from potential clients or their spokespersons or sponsors. Separately, it says general announcements such as office or personnel changes do not constitute communications soliciting professional employment. Neither distinction permits misleading content.

§ 3-507.3(c), comment [7]

Read source: § 3-507.3(c), comment [7]

Filing, Review & Recordkeeping

The reviewed advertising rules do not establish general filing, preapproval or a fixed term for retaining advertising copies. That conclusion is limited to §§ 3-507.1–3-507.4. Other laws or a particular proceeding may create separate obligations.

Keeping versions, supporting records, permissions and distribution information is a sensible internal safeguard. It should be labeled a practical recommendation, not a Nebraska filing mandate. Official advertising rules.

§ 3-507.1

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Results, Testimonials & Comparisons

Section 3-507.1 forbids false or misleading communications, including material omissions. Its comments address true results that create unjustified expectations, unsupported claims or comparisons about services or fees, and messages that falsely suggest the recipient must take action.

Qualifying language may help explain a result’s limitations, but the whole presentation must remain accurate. Testimonials should not promise an outcome by implication. Payment for recommendations is separately restricted by § 3-507.2(b). Before using a client’s name, story or result, review confidentiality under § 3-501.6 and obtain the required authorization. § 3-507.1 comments [2]–[4], § 3-507.2(b); full professional-conduct rules.

§ 3-507.2(b); § 3-501.6; § 3-507.1

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Specialization & Certification

A lawyer may identify fields of practice. The comment permits truthful specialty language subject to the false-or-misleading standard. A claim to be certified as a specialist has additional conditions: certification must come from an organization approved by an appropriate state authority or accredited by the ABA, and the communication must clearly identify that organization.

The rule separately recognizes patent and admiralty designations for lawyers meeting its conditions. A practice-area description should not be presented as a credential the lawyer has not earned. § 3-507.4.

§ 3-507.4

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Firm, Trade & Domain Names

Section 3-507.5 was deleted March 25, 2020. Firm names, letterhead, website addresses and social-media usernames are addressed in comments [5]–[8] to § 3-507.1. Nonmisleading trade names are allowed, but names must not imply nonexistent government, legal-aid or professional relationships.

A firm may retain a deceased member’s name where its identity continues, but should not use an unrelated lawyer’s name or suggest that separate practitioners are a single firm. Geographic legal-clinic branding may need clarification to avoid implying public legal aid. A public official’s name should not imply active firm practice during a substantial absence. § 3-507.1 comments [5]–[8].

§ 3-507.1

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Solicitation & Direct Contact

Section 3-507.3(a) prohibits in-person, live telephone or real-time electronic solicitation when a significant motive for the lawyer’s doing so is the lawyer’s pecuniary gain, unless the recipient is a lawyer or has a family, close personal or prior professional relationship. Written and other permitted solicitation cannot be coercive, harassing or contrary to a known request not to be contacted.

The rule allows participation in an independently operated prepaid or group legal-services plan that uses specified personal contacts to seek memberships from people not known to need services in a particular covered matter. That exception does not permit the lawyer to create a controlled organization to do prohibited solicitation indirectly. § 3-507.3 and comments.

§ 3-507.3

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Channel-Specific Notes

Section 3-507.2 permits reasonable advertising costs, qualifying legal-service-plan or referral-service charges, law-practice purchases under the applicable rule, and nonexclusive reciprocal referrals with client disclosure. Its commentary permits paying marketing employees and vendors but warns against paying others to channel professional work.

Evaluate what a service says and does, not just whether its invoice uses the word “advertising.” The lawyer must act reasonably to ensure a plan or referral service’s activities are compatible with professional obligations, including truthful promotion and lawful contact methods. The rule’s commentary also points to supervision duties for nonlawyers preparing marketing materials. § 3-507.2(b), comments [5]–[8].

§ 3-507.2(b)

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Recent Changes & Scope

Checked November 11, 2026. The official text identifies the March 25, 2020 changes to the truthfulness and firm-name provisions. This guide does not provide an exhaustive account of amendment orders, proposals or other applicable statutes. No statement in this guide should be read as confirmation that all later proceedings or campaign-specific statutes have been excluded.

Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Read source: Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional Conduct

Official Sources

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

1. Nebraska advertising and solicitation rules. Binding rules with explanatory comments.Official source · Checked November 12, 2026
2. Complete Nebraska Rules of Professional ConductOfficial source · Checked November 12, 2026
3. Professional ethics administrationOfficial source · Checked November 12, 2026
4. Counsel for DisciplineOfficial source · Checked November 12, 2026