Washington regulates lawyer advertising through one short rule plus its Comments, and it is not the ABA model. RPC 7.1 — a single unlettered paragraph, adopted effective September 1, 1985 and amended effective September 1, 2006 — bars false or misleading communications. RPC 7.2 (advertising), RPC 7.4 (fields of practice and specialization) and RPC 7.5 (firm names and letterheads) were amended to [RESERVED] in the January 2021 amendments, and their substance now lives in the Washington Comments to RPC 7.1. RPC 7.3 remains active and, unlike most states, is permissive on its face: it opens "A lawyer may solicit professional employment unless" and then lists four disqualifiers. Nothing in RPC 7.1 through 7.6 requires an advertisement to be filed with, submitted to, or pre-approved by the WSBA or the courts. Rule text read from the Washington State Courts PDFs on 2026-09-04; this is a description of the published rules, not legal advice — confirm application with your own counsel.
False or misleading communications
RPC 7.1RPC 7.1 in full: "A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading 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." The rule has no lettered subsections. Comment 2 adds that a truthful statement is also misleading if there is a substantial likelihood it will lead a reasonable person to form a specific conclusion about the lawyer's services for which there is no reasonable factual foundation.
Results, testimonials and disclaimers
RPC 7.1, Comment 3Comment 3 is the operative text, not a separate disclaimer rule: an advertisement that truthfully reports a lawyer's achievements may be misleading if presented so as to lead a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation of the same results, and an unsubstantiated comparison of fees or services may be misleading. The Comment says the inclusion of an appropriate disclaimer or qualifying language "may preclude a finding" that a statement is likely to create unjustified expectations — permissive language, not a mandated disclaimer with a prescribed format. Comment 3 was amended effective September 1, 2016.
Specialization and certification claims
RPC 7.1, Comment 8Comment 8 permits more than most state rules: a lawyer may indicate areas of practice, and is "generally permitted to state that the lawyer is a 'specialist,' practices a 'specialty,' or 'specializes in' particular fields" — subject to the false-and-misleading standard of RPC 7.1. A lawyer may state certification as a specialist only where the certification is granted by an organization approved by an appropriate state authority or accredited by the ABA (or by another organization the state authority has approved to accredit certifiers), and "the name of the certifying organization must be included in any communication regarding the certification."
Firm names and trade names
RPC 7.1, Comment 10Comment 10 governs names, not advertisement identification. A firm may be designated by members' names, by the names of deceased members where there has been a continuing succession, by a trade name such as "the ABC Legal Clinic," or by a distinctive website address; trade names are acceptable so long as they are not misleading. A geographic trade name such as "Springfield Legal Clinic" may require an express disclaimer that the firm is not a public legal aid agency. It is misleading to use the name of a lawyer or LLLT not associated with the firm.
Solicitation — Washington is permissive
RPC 7.3(a)RPC 7.3(a) reads "A lawyer may solicit professional employment unless" — (1) the solicitation is false or misleading; (2) the lawyer knows or reasonably should know that the physical, emotional, or mental state of the subject is such that the person could not exercise reasonable judgment in employing a lawyer; (3) the subject has made known a desire not to be solicited; or (4) the solicitation involves coercion, duress, or harassment. The words "pecuniary gain" do not appear in the rule, and there is no blanket bar on in-person or real-time electronic contact. Amended effective April 29, 2025.
Paying for referrals and advertising
RPC 7.3(b)RPC 7.3(b) bars compensating anyone outside the firm for recommending the lawyer's services, with five listed exceptions: the reasonable cost of advertisements or communications permitted by RPC 7.1, "including online group advertising"; the usual charges of a legal service plan or a qualifying not-for-profit lawyer referral service; payment for a law practice under RPC 1.17; a reciprocal referral agreement that is not exclusive and is disclosed to the client; and nominal gifts neither intended nor reasonably expected to be compensation for a recommendation.
