Connecticut rules
Does a Connecticut law firm have to file every ad with the Statewide Grievance Committee?
Connecticut files nearly every ad at first use, for free, and lists the firm's domains every quarter. Plus a specialist ban, a 40-day letter rule and a runner felony.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
Yes, with exceptions. Connecticut lawyer advertising is governed by Rules 7.1 to 7.4A of the Rules of Professional Conduct, printed in the Connecticut Practice Book, and by Practice Book Section 2-28A. Section 2-28A requires a copy of each ad to be filed with the Statewide Grievance Committee "prior to or concurrently with" its first use. Filing is electronic and free. Website content isn't filed, but every domain used primarily to offer legal services is listed each quarter.
Filed ads can be picked for random review for three months. Separately, Rule 7.2(b)(1) makes the firm keep every ad for three years, with electronic communications copied every three months. Rule 7.4A bars calling yourself a specialist unless you hold a certification it recognizes.
Letters about an accident wait 40 days under Rule 7.3(c)(4) and General Statutes 51-87a, and paying anyone to bring in cases is a felony under 51-87. This is a plain summary for marketing planning, not legal advice. Check the current rule with your bar or law society. We work with law firms across the US and Canada, and also in Australia and the UK.
Which rules apply
Connecticut's marketing rules are Rules 7.1 to 7.4C plus two Practice Book sections and three statutes.
The judges of the Superior Court adopt the rules, and the official 2026 Practice Book prints them. The newest history notes on the advertising rules read "amended June 13, 2019, to take effect Jan. 1, 2020", the same change that repealed Rules 7.4 and 7.5.
| Rule | What it covers | Marketing effect |
|---|---|---|
| 7.1 | No false or misleading communication; commentary on results, comparisons and firm names | Results without a facts-based disclaimer may mislead |
| 7.2 | Records, filing, paying for recommendations, certification, required name, fees, matching services | Three-year archive, a Connecticut lawyer's name and contact information, a costs line with fee claims |
| 7.3 | Solicitation | Live pitches banned; accident letters wait 40 days and carry "Advertising Material" |
| 7.4A to 7.4C | Certification as specialist and the screening committee | "Specialist" only with a recognized certification, never for a firm |
| P.B. 2-28A | Mandatory filing with the Statewide Grievance Committee | File at or before first use; quarterly domain list; random review |
| P.B. 2-28B | Advance advisory opinions | Optional; $100, filed at least 30 days before first use |
| C.G.S. 51-86, 51-87, 51-87a | Non-lawyer solicitation, paid case-runners, written communications | Criminal penalties; the 40-day letter rule in statute |
The newest Practice Book revisions, adopted June 11, 2026 and mostly effective January 1, 2027, leave Part 7 and Sections 2-28A and 2-28B alone. For the national model text, see our ABA Model Rules guide.
Filing and random review
Connecticut wants a copy of most ads on the day they first run, filed online, one ad per filing.
The Committee's FAQ says all television, radio, print and internet ads, except firm websites, "must be submitted either prior to or concurrently with" first dissemination, and that prior approval isn't needed.
Check the exemptions first
Section 2-28A(b) exempts ads limited to safe-harbor facts (names, offices, phone and web addresses, admissions, languages, fields of practice, consultation fees and similar), telephone directory ads, law lists, announcement cards, mail only to clients or professionals, requested communications, and website contents.
Assemble what 2-28A(a) asks for
The ad in the form it will run, a transcript for audio or video, a sample envelope for mail, a statement of media, frequency and run dates, and an English translation of anything in another language. The Committee's FAQ adds the juris number of each responsible lawyer.
File through E-Services
The Committee's Rule 14(B) requires electronic filing unless an exemption is granted. Each ad is filed separately, there is no filing fee, and TV and radio go in on DVD or CD within 10 days of the online form.
List the domains every quarter
Domains used primarily to offer legal services are filed on the first business day of January, April, July and October. The FAQ says personal social media should not be filed.
Watch for a review notice
For three months after filing, an ad can be picked at random. If bar counsel finds a problem, the lawyer is asked to modify, replace or remove it; the FAQ says an agreed resolution isn't a disciplinary finding.
Out-of-state firms whose ads reach Connecticut file too, per the FAQ. For a nearby state with no filing at all, see our Massachusetts guide.
What every ad must include
A Connecticut lawyer's name and contact details, a costs line with any fee claim, and a three-year archive.
Rule 7.2 carries Connecticut's content and record rules. The commentary defines contact information as a website address, a telephone number, an email address or a physical office location.
- Responsible lawyer (7.2(e)): "the name and contact information of at least one lawyer admitted in Connecticut responsible for its content." A firm name alone doesn't meet the text.
- Television (7.2(e)): the Connecticut lawyer's name, address and phone number in bold print for fifteen seconds or the length of the spot, whichever is less, readable on screen.
- Fees (7.2(f)): any mention of fees, including contingent fees, percentages or no fee without a recovery, says whether and how far the client pays court costs and litigation expenses, in the same print size, and spoken if the fee line is spoken.
- Honoring a fee (7.2(g)): an advertised fee or range is honored for at least ninety days, or a year for annual directories, unless the ad sets a shorter period.
- Records (7.2(b)(1)): a copy or recording of each communication kept three years after last use, with when and where it ran; electronic communications copied every three months.
The quarterly copy rule reaches websites, which aren't filed. We capture each site page every quarter, timed with the domain filing. Our ad copy rules guide shows how required lines fit short formats.
Results, testimonials and endorsements
Connecticut's commentary ties results to a disclaimer and caps thank-you gifts at $50.
The Rule 7.1 commentary says a truthful report of results may mislead "if presented without a disclaimer indicating that the communicated result is based upon the particular facts of that case".
| Content | Connecticut's rule | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Verdicts and settlements | Pair each with a disclaimer that it turned on that case's facts | 7.1, commentary |
| Unproven claims and comparisons | May mislead if stated so specifically that a reader assumes they can be substantiated | 7.1, commentary |
| Paid endorsements | Endorsing or vouching for a lawyer is a recommendation, and paying for one is barred outside 7.2(c) | 7.2(c); commentary |
| Gifts for referrals | Nominal, no more than two a year to any recipient, and never over $50 or promised in advance | 7.2(c)(5); commentary |
| Proof on request | The Committee may ask the lawyer to substantiate any statement in a public ad | P.B. 2-28A(c) |
The rules we read don't address reviews clients post themselves; quoting one in an ad makes it part of a filed ad judged under Rule 7.1. Our testimonials guide compares other states, and our review requests guide covers asking without paying.
Specialist and certified
In Connecticut, the word "specialist" itself needs a certification, and a firm can't hold one.
Rule 7.4A(a) bars a lawyer from stating or implying being "a specialist in a field of law" unless currently certified by a board approved by the Rules Committee of the Superior Court or an ABA-accredited organization.
- What's allowed instead (7.2, commentary): a lawyer may say the lawyer "concentrates in," "focuses on," or that the practice is "limited to" a field, judged by Rule 7.1.
- Naming the certifier (7.2(d)): a certification claim names the certifying organization in the same communication.
- Firms (7.4A(d)): "Certification as a specialist may not be attributed to a law firm." A firm ad can say its lawyer is certified, not the firm.
- Recognized fields (7.4A(e)): 28 listed fields, among them civil trial practice, criminal, elder law, estate planning and probate, family and matrimonial, immigration and naturalization, and workers' compensation.
Direct contact, waiting periods and paying for leads
Connecticut puts its 40-day rule in both a court rule and a statute, and makes paying runners a felony.
Rule 7.3 covers solicitation by lawyers. General Statutes 51-87a repeats the 40-day rule and adds letter formatting, and 51-86 and 51-87 reach anyone who solicits or pays for cases.
- Live contact (7.3(b))
No live person-to-person solicitation for pecuniary gain, except to lawyers, family, close personal or prior relations, people who routinely use that type of service for business, and businesses, nonprofits or government bodies about their own work. The commentary says chat rooms and text messages aren't live contact.
- The 40-day rule (7.3(c)(4); C.G.S. 51-87a(a)(1))
No solicitation about personal injury, wrongful death, or an accident or disaster involving the recipient or a relative unless it "occurred more than forty days prior to the mailing".
- Marking the letter (7.3(e); 51-87a(b))
The rule wants "Advertising Material" in red ink on the first page and envelope, and at the start and end of recorded or electronic messages; the statute wants each page marked "advertisement" in red. Regular mail only, and the first sentence of a letter about a specific matter is the statute's set line about disregarding it if you've already hired a lawyer.
- More statute rules (51-87a(b))
Keep each letter three years, mark an enclosed contract "SAMPLE", say how you learned of the matter, and keep the problem off the envelope.
- Paying for cases (C.G.S. 51-87)
Paying or rewarding anyone to solicit or bring a client to a lawyer, including police officers, hospital staff, tow operators or repair shops, is a class E felony, and so is accepting the payment. Referrals between lawyers are excepted.
- Lead generators (7.2, commentary; 7.2(h))
Paying for leads is allowed if the generator doesn't recommend the lawyer, imply a free referral or claim it analyzed the problem. An internet matching service may be used, and one that gives a lawyer an exclusive area must meet 7.2(e).
Read together, 7.2(c) and 51-87 mean a lead source must be paying for advertising, not paying people to steer clients. Our paying for leads guide compares how other states draw that line.
Channel by channel
What Connecticut's filing rule and Rules 7.1 to 7.4A mean for each channel.
Section 2-28A covers ads "through any media, electronic or otherwise", and the Committee's e-services FAQ tells lawyers how to file internet pop-up ads, ad rotators, billboards and apps.
| Channel | What the rule means there | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Google search ads | Internet ads are filed at first use; each new ad text is a new filing, and the lawyer's name and contact details appear | P.B. 2-28A(a); 7.2(e) |
| Local Services Ads | We treat the profile as an internet ad: filed, with a lawyer's name and phone number, and no "specialist" unless certified | P.B. 2-28A(a); 7.4A(a) |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | Filed like other internet ads; results need the facts-based disclaimer, fee claims the costs line | P.B. 2-28A; 7.1; 7.2(f) |
| Social media posts | Personal accounts aren't filed; a firm page used to offer legal services is a question for the Committee | SGC advertising FAQ; 7.2(b)(1) |
| Website and AI search content | Contents aren't filed but the domain is, quarterly; pages, FAQs and bios that AI search tools may quote are kept as quarterly copies | P.B. 2-28A(a)(3), (b)(7); 7.2(b)(1) |
Our Local Services Ads vs Google Ads guide explains how each one charges, and our Meta special ad categories guide covers targeting limits on Facebook.
What we check
Our Connecticut review: a filing log first, then the words.
When we review a Connecticut firm's ads, we check the filing log before the copy, because a search ad that went live without an E-Services filing is a problem no headline fix can solve.
Build the filing log
Every ad gets its E-Services file number, run dates and media at launch, so we run fewer, longer-lived versions.
Calendar the domains
Each domain used to offer services, including landing page domains, goes on the quarterly list in January, April, July and October.
Place the name and contact line
A Connecticut-admitted lawyer's name and a phone number or address in every ad; on TV, the name, address and phone number in bold for fifteen seconds, or the whole spot if shorter.
Swap "specialist" out
Unless the lawyer holds a recognized certification, the copy says "focuses on" or "limited to".
Keep the quarterly copies
Captures of the site and every live ad every three months, kept three years after last use.
One case study, $37,000 Closed in Month One, comes from a family law practice, and the amount is the firm's result, not an ad claim. Our Meta ads service runs Facebook and Instagram campaigns within rules like these. For that practice area, see our family law marketing page. Firms that also advertise across the New York line should compare our New York guide.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
Connecticut mistakes we look for in accounts firms bring to us.
Launching search ads without filing them
Section 2-28A(a) requires internet ads to be filed before or at first use, and 2-28A(h) makes failing to file misconduct.
Forgetting the quarterly domain list
Section 2-28A(a)(3) requires a list of domains used primarily to offer legal services, updated quarterly.
"Specialist" without a certification
Rule 7.4A(a) bars stating or implying specialization without a current certification from an approved or ABA-accredited body.
"No fee unless we win" with no costs line
Rule 7.2(f) requires a statement on court costs and litigation expenses in the same print size as the fee claim.
Accident letters inside 40 days
Rule 7.3(c)(4) and General Statutes 51-87a(a)(1) both bar accident-related written solicitation until more than forty days have passed.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Published results from firms whose case studies don't name their state.
Identifying details are anonymized to protect our clients. Individual result, not a promise or prediction of any specific outcome for your firm.
FAQ
Questions lawyers ask us.
Straight answers to the questions that come up most.
Does it cost anything to file an ad in Connecticut?
No. The Committee's e-services FAQ says there is no fee for filing under Section 2-28A. An optional advance advisory opinion under Section 2-28B costs $100.
Does a Connecticut law firm have to file its website?
Not its contents. Section 2-28A(b)(7) exempts the website, but 2-28A(a)(3) requires the firm to file its domain names each quarter, and Rule 7.2(b)(1) still requires copies every three months.
Can a Connecticut lawyer say "specialist" or "expert"?
"Specialist" only with a current certification under Rule 7.4A from a board approved by the Rules Committee or an ABA-accredited organization. The rules don't define "expert", so it's judged under Rule 7.1; we treat it like "specialist" and use "focuses on" instead.
How long is the wait before writing to an accident victim in Connecticut?
More than forty days after the accident or disaster, under both Rule 7.3(c)(4) and General Statutes 51-87a. Live solicitation for a fee is barred at any time under Rule 7.3(b).
Do I have to file if my firm is in another state?
Yes, if the ads reach Connecticut. The Committee's FAQ says a lawyer not admitted in Connecticut whose ad appears there must comply, and so must a Connecticut-admitted lawyer at an out-of-state firm advertising for Connecticut clients.
How does Connecticut compare with its neighbours?
It files ads; Massachusetts doesn't. Our state-by-state list shows each state's filing rule, our Massachusetts guide covers the northern neighbour, and our Rhode Island guide covers the eastern one.
Where we do this
The services this guide touches.
What this looks like when we run it for a firm, with a demo for your practice on each page.
Sources
Where these facts come from.
Official pages we read when writing this page. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- Connecticut Judicial Branch, Official 2026 Connecticut Practice Book: Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 to 7.4C and Sections 2-28A and 2-28B (PDF)
- Connecticut Judicial Branch, Practice Book and court rules page
- Connecticut Law Journal, Practice Book amendments adopted June 11, 2026, effective January 1, 2027 (PDF)
- Statewide Grievance Committee, advertising FAQ: general questions and mandatory filing
- Statewide Grievance Committee, advertising FAQ: filing electronically through E-Services
- Statewide Grievance Committee, advertising FAQ: advisory opinions ($100 fee)
- Statewide Grievance Committee, advertising FAQ: random review of advertisements
- Statewide Grievance Committee, Rules of Procedure, Rule 14 (mandatory filing and advisory opinions)
- Connecticut General Assembly, General Statutes chapter 876, secs. 51-86, 51-87 and 51-87a
- Connecticut General Assembly, 2026 Supplement, chapter 876
Written by
Founder of Ad Hoc Digital. Leads strategy and works directly with every client firm on AI search, Local Services Ads, Google Ads and Meta ads.
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