نوع مقاله : پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
1. Background and Research Problem: Lawyer advertising is a controversial issue in the fields of professional ethics and the regulation of legal services. The legal profession cannot be regarded as an ordinary commercial activity because it is directly concerned with individuals’ rights, freedoms, property, and reputation and plays an essential role in the administration of justice. Individuals generally seek legal assistance when they are confronted with disputes, criminal accusations, family crises, financial threats, or risks to their social and professional standing. In such circumstances, prospective clients may be anxious, vulnerable, and insufficiently informed to assess the quality of legal services. They may therefore be particularly susceptible to exaggerated claims, unrealistic promises, and misleading representations. Advertising that guarantees judicial outcomes, claims influence over judges or public authorities, exaggerates professional qualifications, exploits clients’ lack of knowledge, or uses fear and urgency to attract clients may undermine the trust-based relationship between lawyers and clients. It may also compromise professional independence, confidentiality, and public confidence in the justice system. Nevertheless, the need to prevent misleading advertising does not necessarily justify prohibiting every form of public communication by lawyers. Citizens require accurate information about a lawyer’s identity, professional licence, licensing authority, office address, actual areas of practice, professional experience, methods of communication, and fees in order to make informed choices. A general prohibition may deprive citizens of reliable information and strengthen the position of established practitioners whose reputations and personal networks already provide them with visibility. It may also encourage reliance on informal intermediaries, opaque referral arrangements, and unverifiable online rankings. The central problem, therefore, is not simply whether lawyer advertising should be permitted or prohibited. Rather, it concerns the legitimate boundaries of lawyers’ communication with the public and the distinction between professional information dissemination and misleading or ethically unacceptable advertising.
کلیدواژهها English