New York's attorney advertising rules changed on June 1, 2026, when the four Departments of the Appellate Division amended the advertising rules in the Rules of Professional Conduct (22 NYCRR Part 1200) to essentially adopt the ABA's 2018 Model Rules 7.1 and 7.3.

Rule text below is the New York State Bar Association's August 10, 2026 republication of the amended rules, with NYSBA commentary for context.

The stack underneath New York's version, and how other states compare, is in lawyer advertising rules.

If your compliance checklist was written before June 2026, it describes rules that no longer exist, and this page separates the two.

What changed on June 1, 2026

The four Departments adopted the amendments together, so New York essentially adopts the ABA's 2018 Model Rules 7.1 and 7.3.

Rule 7.4 was eliminated: it reads "[RESERVED.]" in the amended text, and its specialization content moved into Rule 7.1(c).

Rule 7.2, which covers paying for advertising and referrals, was left unchanged, and Rule 7.5 was kept.

The defined term "advertising" disappeared from the terminology section, which now speaks of communications about a lawyer's services.

Guidance written before June 1, 2026

  • Label most ads "Attorney Advertising".
  • Print "Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome" on ads with results.
  • Do not call yourself a specialist.
  • Wait 30 days after an accident before soliciting a personal injury or wrongful death matter.
  • File solicitations with the disciplinary committee and keep ads for 3 years (1 year for computer-accessed communications).

The amended rules, effective June 1, 2026

  • No labeling requirement in amended Rule 7.1 or Rule 7.3.
  • No required prior-results disclaimer; Comment [3] says one may still help.
  • "Specialist" is permitted, subject to the false-or-misleading standard.
  • The 30-day blackout is gone; live solicitation is still barred by Rule 7.3(b).
  • No solicitation filing duty, and no retention requirement in amended Rule 7.1.

New York lawyer advertising rules: what each rule covers now

Amended Rule 7.1(a) prohibits any false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services, and Rule 7.1(b) lets lawyers communicate through any media.

Comment [2] keeps the pressure on truthful copy: a statement can still mislead, for example by implying the reader must take action when none is required.

Comment [1] widens the reach: the rule covers communications to existing clients and other lawyers, so the old existing-client exception is gone.

Rule 7.1(d) requires every communication about a lawyer's services to include the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or law firm, and Comment [10] says contact information should always include a phone number or a physical office address.

NYSBA's commentary notes the old rule required the principal law office address; the amended one does not.

Comment [5] sets a wide scope: the firm's name, trade name, domain name, website, social media pages, office sign, business cards and letterhead are communications that must not be false, deceptive or misleading, each also under Rule 7.5.

  • Nothing false or misleading about the lawyer or the lawyer's services, on any medium (Rule 7.1(a) and 7.1(b)).
  • A responsible lawyer's or firm's name and contact information, with a phone number or physical office address (Rule 7.1(d) and cmt. [10]).
  • The same discipline applied to the domain name, social media pages, signs, cards and letterhead (Rule 7.1 cmt. [5] and Rule 7.5).
  • No implication that the reader must act when no action is required (Rule 7.1 cmt. [2]).

The Attorney Advertising label in New York: not required since June 1, 2026

Old Rule 7.1(f) required most ads, other than radio, TV and billboards, to carry the "Attorney Advertising" label.

The June 1, 2026 amendments eliminated that requirement, and the amended Rule 7.1 contains no labeling requirement; targeted solicitations carry no labeling duty under amended Rule 7.3 either.

The label is not prohibited: it is simply no longer required.

Old Rule 7.1(d) also required "Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome" on ads with results, comparisons or testimonials; that requirement is gone too.

Comment [3] still says an appropriate disclaimer "may preclude" a finding that a statement creates unjustified expectations, and NYSBA's commentary says lawyers "may want to consider" keeping one.

What disclaimers do under each state's current text is in attorney advertising disclaimers.

Specialists and past results under amended Rule 7.1

The old New York rule against calling yourself a specialist left with Rule 7.4.

Under amended Rule 7.1(c)(1) and (2), a lawyer may not say or imply certification as a specialist unless an organization approved by a state, District of Columbia or territorial authority, or accredited by the ABA, certified the lawyer, and the certifier is named.

Comment [7] says a lawyer may describe concentrating in a field, or being a "specialist" in it, based on experience, training or education, subject to the false-or-misleading standard, and Comment [8] keeps patent and admiralty designations permitted.

On results, Comment [3] keeps both edges live: truthful reports of results can still be misleading, and so can unsubstantiated comparisons.

How far results claims reach generally is in past results advertising rules.

Solicitation: Rule 7.3 and the end of the 30-day blackout

Amended Rule 7.3(b) bars soliciting by live person-to-person contact when a significant motive is the lawyer's pecuniary gain.

The exceptions: a lawyer, a family, close personal or prior business or professional relationship, or a person who routinely uses that type of legal service for business.

Comment [2] says text messages are not live contact.

Rule 7.3(c) also bars soliciting anyone who has said they do not want it, and any solicitation involving coercion, duress or harassment.

Comment [6] adds that live contact with people especially vulnerable to coercion, such as the elderly, people whose first language is not English, or people with disabilities, "is ordinarily not appropriate."

The 30-day blackout is gone: the amendments eliminated New York's ban on soliciting mass tort and personal injury or wrongful death matters within 30 days of the incident.

NYSBA notes two limits on that change: it does not touch federal statutes restricting unsolicited contact after airplane or rail accidents (49 USC 1136 and 1139), and it does not override NY Judiciary Law §480 on entering a hospital to negotiate a settlement or obtain a release.

Paying for ads, SEO and lead generators: Rule 7.2

Rule 7.2 was unchanged by the amendments; per NYSBA, it still governs paying for advertising and referrals.

Comment [1] allows paying for advertising, including online directories, internet ads, search engine optimization and group advertising.

It also allows paying lead generators that do not recommend the lawyer, subject to the fee-division, independence and advertising rules.

A lawyer must not pay a generator that states or implies it is recommending the lawyer, referring without payment, or having analyzed the person's legal problem.

Checking your pages against New York Rule 7.1 advertising rules

Inventory every communication

Comment [5]'s list is the scope: website, landing pages, social pages, the domain name, signs, cards and letterhead.

Retire the pre-2026 checklist items

Tasks that say "add the Attorney Advertising label" or "add the prior-results disclaimer" describe requirements that no longer exist.

Check the name-and-contact rule

Every communication carries a responsible lawyer's or firm's name and contact information, with a phone number or office address (Rule 7.1(d)).

Read each claim against Rule 7.1(a)

Superlatives, results, comparisons and urgency lines: a truthful statement can still mislead, especially when it implies action is required (cmt. [2]).

More Booked Cases runs the conversion side of that inventory: one controlled test a month on law firm websites and landing pages, judged by consultations and signed cases; reviewing ads against bar rules is not part of the service.

This page describes the amended rules as of the August 10, 2026 rule text, not legal advice; confirm how they apply to your firm with your state bar's ethics counsel or an ethics lawyer.

Frequently asked questions

Are attorneys allowed to advertise in New York?

Amended Rule 7.1(b) lets New York lawyers communicate about their services through any media. Rule 7.1(a) supplies the limit: no false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services.

Can New York lawyers call themselves specialists now?

Amended Rule 7.1(c) and Comment [7] say describing yourself as concentrating in a field, or as a specialist in it based on experience, training or education, is subject to the false-or-misleading standard. Saying or implying certification still requires a named certifier approved by a state authority or accredited by the ABA.

Is there still a 30-day rule for soliciting accident victims in New York?

No. The 30-day blackout on personal injury and wrongful death solicitations was eliminated effective June 1, 2026, though Rule 7.3(b) still bars live person-to-person solicitation when pecuniary gain is a significant motive.

Do New York lawyers have to keep copies of their ads?

The amended Rule 7.1 contains no retention requirement, and NYSBA reports the amendments also ended solicitation filing and the 3-year recipient-list duty. Other recordkeeping rules in New York practice sit outside the advertising rules.

What must every New York communication about a lawyer's services include?

Amended Rule 7.1(d) requires the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or law firm, and Comment [10] says contact information should always include a phone number or a physical office address.