Should lawyers advertise? A study of consumer attitudes

Abstract

The issue of whether professionals should advertise has generated quite a controversy over the past several years. Since the historic decision of the Supreme Court in theBates vs. State Bar of Arizona which ruled the State Bar's proscription against advertising fees for legal services was unconstitutional, much has been written about the ethical ramifications of the decision and the attitudes of various professional groups toward the use of advertising. This paper focuses on the attitudes of “consumers” toward the advertising of legal services. The results of the study suggest that advertising does have an impact on the professional's image although not necessarily the negative impact many professionals believe.