Ohio's attorney-advertising rules are Rules 7.1 through 7.5 of the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct, adopted by the Supreme Court of Ohio, which under Article IV, Section 2(B)(1)(g) of the Ohio Constitution holds original jurisdiction over admission to the practice of law and the discipline of those admitted; grievances are investigated and prosecuted by the Court's Office of Disciplinary Counsel. Rule 7.1 bars false, misleading or nonverifiable communications; Rule 7.2 governs advertising and paying for recommendations; Rule 7.3 governs solicitation, including the “Understanding Your Rights” statement that a solicitation sent within thirty days of an accident must carry; Rule 7.4 governs fields of practice and specialist claims; Rule 7.5 governs firm names and letterheads. The rules as published contain no requirement that an advertisement be filed with, or approved by, any body before publication; they are enforced after publication through the disciplinary process. Read from the Court's published rules PDF on 2026-09-23; this is a description of the published rules, not legal advice — confirm application with your own counsel.
Communications concerning a lawyer's services
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.1“A lawyer shall not make or use a false, misleading, or nonverifiable communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services.” A communication is false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law or omits a fact necessary to make the statement considered as a whole not materially misleading. Ohio adds “nonverifiable” to the ABA model text, so a claim that cannot be checked is barred even if it is not shown to be false.
Advertising and paying for recommendations
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.2(a)–(b), cmt. [5A]Subject to Rules 7.1 and 7.3, a lawyer may advertise services through written, recorded, or electronic communication, including public media. A lawyer shall not give anything of value to a person for recommending the lawyer’s services, except the reasonable costs of advertisements or communications permitted by the rule, the usual charges of a legal service plan or of a nonprofit or lawyer referral service that complies with Gov. Bar R. XVI, and payment for a law practice under Rule 1.17. Comment [5A] states that a lawyer may compensate employees, agents, and vendors engaged to provide marketing or client-development services, such as publicists, public-relations personnel, business-development staff and website designers.
Responsible lawyer named on every advertisement
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.2(c)Any communication made pursuant to Rule 7.2 shall include the name and office address of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content.
Solicitation of clients
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.3(a)–(c)A lawyer shall not by in-person, live telephone, or real-time electronic contact solicit professional employment when a significant motive is the lawyer’s pecuniary gain, unless the person contacted is a lawyer or has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer. No solicitation by any means may go to a person who has made known a desire not to be solicited, involve coercion, duress, or harassment, or target a person the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is a minor, incompetent, or otherwise unable to exercise reasonable judgment in employing a lawyer. Every written, recorded, or electronic solicitation to a person the lawyer reasonably believes needs legal services in a particular matter must disclose how the lawyer learned of the person’s identity and legal need, disclaim any predetermined evaluation of the merits, and conspicuously carry the recital “ADVERTISING MATERIAL” or “ADVERTISEMENT ONLY.”
Solicitation within thirty days of an accident
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.3(e)Ohio does not ban solicitation after an accident. If a communication soliciting professional employment is sent within thirty days of an accident or disaster that gives rise to a potential claim for personal injury or wrongful death, the rule’s “Understanding Your Rights” statement shall be included with the communication.
Fields of practice and specialist claims
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.4(a), (e)A lawyer may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or does not practice in particular fields of law, or limits his or her practice to or concentrates in particular fields of law. A lawyer shall not state or imply that the lawyer is a specialist in a particular field of law unless the lawyer has been certified as a specialist and the communication clearly identifies the name of the certifying organization.
Firm names and letterheads
Ohio Prof.Cond.R. 7.5(a), (b), (d)A lawyer shall not use a firm name, letterhead or other professional designation that violates Rule 7.1. A lawyer in private practice shall not practice under a name that is misleading as to the identity of the lawyer or lawyers practicing under the name, or a firm name containing surnames other than those of one or more of the lawyers in the firm; the surname of a deceased or retired member of the firm or of a predecessor firm in a continuing line of succession may be kept. A firm with offices in more than one jurisdiction shall indicate the jurisdictional limitations on lawyers not licensed to practice in Ohio, and lawyers may state or imply that they practice in a partnership or other organization only when that is the fact.
