Advertisements in Newspapers, when permissible:

- Modest announcements in newspapers,

periodicals or magazines about the opening of a
law firm stating the names of the lawyers and
the address of the office or firm is not improper.
- Any self-laudatory or self-praising statements in
newspaper advertisements or professional cards
disgrace and abase the lawyer and his
profession. Worse, if the advertisements are
effected through radios and televisions.
- It is unprofessional to solicit professional
employment by circulars, advertisements,
through letters or by personal communications
or interviews not warranted by personal
relations.
- Indirect advertisements for professional
employment such as furnishing or inspiring
newspaper comments, or procuring his
photograph to be published in connection with
causes in which the lawyer has been or is
engaged or concerning the manner of their
conduct, the magnitude of the interest involved,
the importance of the lawyers position, and all
other lie self-laudation offend the traditions! but
the customary use of the simple professional
cards is not proper.
- An advertisement bearing the name of the
lawyer, his address and the remars "Advice
free# is an improper solicitation.
- A radio program of a lawyer, advertising his
legal sill and receiving phone $uestions about
law and which he answers in the form of legal
advice is liewise improper and reprehensible.
- %owever, a legal aid program as public service
is allowable.
Best advertisement for a lawyer:
- &he best advertisement for a lawyer is a well-
deserved reputation for competence, honesty
and fidelity to private trust and public duty.
- %onesty reigns paramount, however, the lawyer
must not only be honest but must appear to be
honest. 'y his honesty, he gains public
confidence and this public confidence is his
greatest advertisement.
Barratry and Ambulance Chasing:
- 'arratry ( a lawyers act of fermenting suits
among individuals and offering his legal services
to one of them for monetary motives or
purposes.
- Ambulance )hasing ( lawyers act of chasing an
ambulance carrying the victim of an accident for
the purpose of taling to the said victim or
relatives and offering his legal services for the
filing of a case against the person who caused
the accident.
- Ambulance )haser ( is a lawyer who haunts
hospitals and visits the homes of the afflicted,
officiously intruding their presence and
persistently offering his service on the basis of a
contingent fee.
- &he lawyer is guilty of ambulance chasing
whether the act is done by him personally or by
person under his employ. &he effect is the same
as where he personally does it.
Evils spawned by ambulance chasing:
*. +ormenting of litigation with resulting
burdens on the courts and the public!
,. -ubornation of per.ury!
/. Mulcting of innocent persons by .udgments
upon manufactured causes of actions, and
0. 1efrauding of in.ured persons having proper
causes of action but ignorant of legal rights
and court procedure by means of contracts
which retain e2orbitant percentages of
recovery and illegal charges for court costs
and e2penses and by settlement made for
$uic returns of fees and against the .ust
right of the in.ured person.
Background of Ambulance Chasing:
- &he term originated in 3ew 4or )ity, but it had
appeared in a 5tah newspaper a year earlier.
- A certain Abraham 6atner of Manhattan 3ew
4or, persuaded a 3ew 4or law firm to act as
its agent in soliciting retainer agreements from
accident victims.
- 6atner would hang around police head$uarters
and with the cooperation of a cler in the police
department succeeded in getting daily list of
accident victims.
- 6artner, who was not a lawyer, eventually set up
a ,0-hour a day law office in partnership with a
lawyer.
- In the early twenties, 6artner was maing a net
profit of 7*89,:::.:: on a gross of 70::,:::.::.
%e was convicted of fraud.