New Jersey rules
What do New Jersey's lawyer advertising rules require, from three-year ad records to the comparison disclaimer?
New Jersey keeps every ad for three years, backs up websites monthly, puts a set disclaimer on comparisons, and allows only regular-mail letters about a specific accident or event.
By Santiago Alvarez, Founder, Ad Hoc Digital
Last updated
The short answer
If you read one part of this page, read this.
New Jersey lawyer ads answer to Rules of Professional Conduct 7.1 to 7.5 and four Supreme Court guidelines, enforced by the Court's "Committee on Attorney Advertising". There's no routine filing, but a lawyer may ask the Committee for an advisory opinion, and it can require pre-publication review from a firm using an ad agency.
Three rules change marketing most. RPC 7.2(b) requires keeping every ad for three years and backing up the website at least monthly. RPC 7.1(a)(3) allows a comparison with other lawyers only with a named source, proof, and the words "No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey". RPC 7.3(b)(5) allows unsolicited contact about a specific accident or event only by a labeled letter sent by regular mail.
We read every rule below on the New Jersey Courts site on October 18, 2026. 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
New Jersey regulates lawyer ads through five RPCs, four guidelines and two court rules.
The Rules of Professional Conduct sit in the Part 1 Appendices of the Rules of Court. Rule 1:19A creates the Committee that interprets them, and Rule 1:39 runs certification.
| Rule | What it covers | Marketing effect |
|---|---|---|
| RPC 7.1 | False or misleading communications, results, comparisons, fee statements | Comparisons need the Supreme Court disclaimer; only listed fee statements are allowed |
| RPC 7.2 | Advertising media, records, paying for recommendations | Keep every ad three years; back up the website monthly |
| RPC 7.3 | Personal contact with prospective clients | 30 days after a mass disaster; letters by regular mail only for other specific events |
| RPC 7.4 | Fields of practice and certification | Certification claims name the certifier and the approval |
| RPC 7.5 | Firm names and letterheads | Trade names allowed if not misleading, comparative or results-based |
| Guidelines 1 to 4 | Contact information, label font sizes, judicial quotations, website backups | Every ad carries contact details; judge quotes carry a set disclaimer |
| R. 1:19A | "Committee on Attorney Advertising" | Advisory opinions, grievances and discretionary pre-publication review |
| R. 1:39 | Specialty certification | Seven designated areas certified by the Supreme Court |
New Jersey's text isn't the ABA's 2018 version; the rules date from 1984, with New Jersey additions since. The ABA baseline is in our ABA Model Rules guide. Every state is listed in our rules by jurisdiction hub. How New Jersey's choices compare with Florida's and Texas's is in our lawyer advertising rules comparison.
Filing and advisory opinions
Nothing is filed in New Jersey, but a firm can ask the Committee to rule on an ad before it runs.
Rule 1:19A-2(a) gives the Committee "exclusive authority" over advisory opinions and grievances under RPC 7.1 to 7.5, except RPC 7.3(c) to (f). Rule 1:19A-3 sets the process.
Write to the Committee's Secretary
Only a New Jersey lawyer may ask, in writing, with the ad attached and a certificate that the opinion won't affect any pending case (R. 1:19A-3(a)).
Brief the question
Add a letter brief citing the rules that apply, the facts, and your view of whether the ad is proper.
Send it early
The Committee acts at its next meeting, as far as practical, if the inquiry arrives at least ten business days before that meeting (R. 1:19A-3(b)).
Use the answer as written
An approval bars ethics charges unless the ad is false or misleading under RPC 7.1(a)(1). A disapproval binds you, and RPC 7.1(b) makes running a disapproved ad, or one substantially the same, unethical.
Committee staff also run an Ethics Hotline for research help on a lawyer's own prospective conduct; the Courts' page says it doesn't give advice or opinions. The rule text we read sets no fee for an advisory opinion.
What every ad must include
Every New Jersey ad carries contact details, and some must name a New Jersey lawyer.
Guideline 1 sets the minimum. RPC 7.5 adds a named lawyer when the firm name alone doesn't identify one, and RPC 7.2(b) sets the records.
- Contact information (Guideline 1): a street address, mailing address, phone number, fax number, email address or website URL.
- A responsible New Jersey lawyer (RPC 7.5(b) and (e)): a trade name without a lawyer's name, or a firm name using someone not licensed here, needs at least one licensed New Jersey lawyer named in every ad.
- Licensing limits (RPC 7.5(b)): a firm practicing in more than one jurisdiction shows the limits of lawyers not licensed in New Jersey.
- Records (RPC 7.2(b)): a copy or recording of each ad kept for three years after it ran, with when and where it was used.
- Website backups (RPC 7.2(b)): "all material" on the firm's website captured at least monthly, including new content, and kept for three years.
General ads carry no "ADVERTISEMENT" label here; only letters under RPC 7.3(b)(5) do. The monthly website capture is the rule we see missed most, because nothing about running a site prompts it. Our law firm website service keeps dated copies of every page version. Maryland has a similar three-year record rule, counted from an ad's last use; see our Maryland guide.
Results, comparisons and endorsements
New Jersey allows comparisons only with a named source, proof and a fixed disclaimer.
RPC 7.1(a) lists four ways a communication becomes false or misleading. Two of them decide most ad copy: results and comparisons.
| Claim | Allowed? | Condition or rule |
|---|---|---|
| Past results | Only if not likely to create an unjustified expectation | RPC 7.1(a)(2) |
| "Better than other firms" or any comparison | Only with the comparing organization named, proof, and the disclaimer | RPC 7.1(a)(3): "No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey" |
| Honors and ratings | Yes, if the conferrer checked fitness, didn't sell it, and its method is described or available | Official Comment to RPC 7.1 (November 2, 2009) |
| A judge's words about you | Yes, quoted accurately, with the set disclaimer close by | Guideline 3: "This comment, made by a judge in a particular case, is not an endorsement of my legal skill or ability." |
| Fee statements | Only the kinds listed: consultation fee, fixed or contingent fee for a described service, ranges, hourly rates, credit | RPC 7.1(a)(4) |
| Trade names | Yes, if not misleading, comparative or suggestive of results | RPC 7.5(e) and its 2015 comment |
The 2015 comment to RPC 7.5(e) gives examples. "Smith & Jones Millburn Personal Injury Lawyers" is fine if Millburn is the firm's primary location and injury law its primary practice. "Best Tax Lawyers" is comparative, and "Million Dollar Personal Injury Lawyer" suggests results. We apply the same reasoning to headlines and social handles.
A review saying a firm beats others is a comparison, so it needs the source, proof and disclaimer, or it stays out. Our guide to testimonials in lawyer ads compares other states.
Specialist and certified
New Jersey certification claims must name the certifier and say whether the Supreme Court or the ABA approved it.
RPC 7.4(a) lets a lawyer say what fields they practice in, but not imply recognition or certification as a specialist except as paragraphs (b) to (d) allow.
- Certification claims (RPC 7.4(d)): not false or misleading, naming the certifier, and stating the certification was granted by the Supreme Court of New Jersey or an ABA-approved organization. An unapproved certifier must be flagged as such in each communication.
- The Court's program (R. 1:39): seven areas: civil trial, criminal trial, matrimonial law, workers' compensation law, municipal court trial, Tax Court law and residential real estate law (the rule was last amended October 6, 2026). The "Board on Attorney Certification" runs it; applicants need five years in good standing (R. 1:39-2).
- Exact wording (R. 1:39-6(b) and (c)): certified lawyers make "dignified use" of the Board's designation and may not swap in other words.
Rule 1:39-6(d) matters for referral marketing: a certified lawyer may share a fee with a referring lawyer outside the firm, except in matrimonial and residential real estate matters. For personal injury firms, we use the Board's civil trial wording only.
Direct contact and paying for clients
After a specific accident or other event, New Jersey allows a letter by regular mail, and nothing else unsolicited.
RPC 7.3(a) permits personal contact, then paragraph (b) bars it when the person can't judge clearly, has said no, or faces pressure, and after specific events.
- Mass disasters: 30 days (RPC 7.3(b)(4))
No unsolicited direct contact with a prospective client within thirty days after a specific mass-disaster event, when the contact concerns compensation from the event.
- Any other specific event: regular mail only (RPC 7.3(b)(5))
Unsolicited direct contact about a specific event, with money as a significant motive, is barred, except a letter by regular mail. It has "ADVERTISEMENT" in capitals at the head of page one and on the envelope, uses the person's name, says to disregard it if they have a lawyer, and ends with "Before making your choice of attorney, you should give this matter careful thought. The selection of an attorney is an important decision." plus a notice that a misleading letter may be reported to the Committee.
- Font sizes (Guideline 2)
"ADVERTISEMENT" on the letter is at least two font sizes above any body text, and on the envelope one size above anything else there, in bold if anything else is bold.
Paying for clients is narrow. RPC 7.2(c) allows the reasonable cost of advertising and the usual charges of a not-for-profit referral service. RPC 7.3(d) bars paying anyone to recommend or secure your employment, except public communications and a referral service "operated, sponsored, or approved by a bar association". Neither rule names lead generators, so a platform that recommends you sits uneasily here.
Our paying for leads guide compares other states. Pennsylvania now treats texts as live contact; see our Pennsylvania guide. Delaware bans in-person, live phone and real-time electronic solicitation outside a few close relationships, as our Delaware guide explains.
By channel
What New Jersey's rules mean for each marketing channel.
No New Jersey rule names Google, Meta or ChatGPT. The rules apply to them through their general words: advertisements, communications, websites and contact.
| Channel | What the rule means there | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Google search ads | Contact details in every ad; no comparison without the disclaimer; a dated copy of each version kept three years | Guideline 1, RPC 7.1(a)(3), 7.2(b) |
| Local Services Ads | No New Jersey rule or court page we read mentions them; Google charges per lead and shows ratings, so check RPC 7.3(d) with ethics counsel | RPC 7.2(c), 7.3(d) |
| Facebook and Instagram ads | Results and review quotes face the unjustified-expectation test; comparisons need the disclaimer | RPC 7.1(a)(2), (a)(3) |
| Social media posts | Posts about your services are communications; messaging someone about their accident is unsolicited direct contact | RPC 7.1, 7.3(b)(5) |
| Website and AI search content | Every page counts, including the FAQs and posts ChatGPT and Google's AI answers read; capture the site monthly, keep it three years | RPC 7.2(b), Guideline 4 |
In AI search content, comparisons creep in: "one of the few firms that" is one. We write what the firm does, not how it ranks. Our guide to how AI tools find lawyers explains why that still gets cited.
What we check
When we review a New Jersey firm's ads, we start with the archive, then the claims.
Most problems here are records and wording.
Confirm the archive
A monthly capture of the full website, and a dated copy of each ad version with where it ran, kept three years. If either is missing, it starts now.
Find every comparison
Headlines, sitelinks, review quotes and page titles. Each one gets a named source, proof and the Supreme Court disclaimer, or it's rewritten as a plain fact.
Check names and licenses
Trade names carry a licensed New Jersey lawyer's name; out-of-state lawyers show their limits; certification uses the Board's designation.
Stop targeted outreach
No texts, emails or DMs to people about a specific accident or other event. If the firm mails, the letter follows RPC 7.3(b)(5) and Guideline 2 to the letter.
In our client work, plain ads like the "after" version perform. One DUI firm's case study is $13,500 Generated From Just $600 in Advertising Spend, from Local Services Ads. We build New Jersey campaigns in Google Ads the same way.
Common mistakes
Where firms go wrong.
The New Jersey mistakes we find most often in marketing firms bring to us.
No monthly website backup
RPC 7.2(b) requires capturing all website material at least monthly and keeping it three years. A host's rolling backups that expire after 30 days don't meet it.
Comparisons without the disclaimer
Any comparison with other lawyers needs a named source, proof and "No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey" under RPC 7.1(a)(3).
Texting or messaging accident victims
RPC 7.3(b)(5) allows only a letter by regular mail for unsolicited contact about a specific event.
A trade name with no lawyer named
RPC 7.5(e) requires at least one licensed New Jersey lawyer's name wherever a trade name without a lawyer's name appears.
Real results
What this looked like for real firms.
Results from campaigns built on plain claims: what the firm does, where, and how to reach it.
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.
Do New Jersey lawyers have to file their ads?
No routine filing exists. A New Jersey lawyer may ask the Committee for a written advisory opinion on an ad under Rule 1:19A-3, and the Committee may require pre-publication review from a firm that hired an advertising agency under Rule 1:19A-2(d).
How long must New Jersey lawyers keep copies of ads?
Three years after the ad ran, with a record of when and where it was used, under RPC 7.2(b). The same rule requires capturing all website content at least monthly and keeping it for three years.
Can a New Jersey firm say it's rated by Super Lawyers or a similar list?
Yes, if it's truthful, the conferrer checked the lawyer's fitness and didn't sell the honor, and its method is described or publicly available (2009 Official Comment to RPC 7.1). Our Google reviews guide covers how ratings show on Google.
When can a New Jersey lawyer contact someone after an accident?
For a mass disaster, no unsolicited direct contact about compensation for thirty days under RPC 7.3(b)(4). For any other specific event, the only unsolicited contact allowed is a letter by regular mail meeting RPC 7.3(b)(5), with the "ADVERTISEMENT" label and both notices.
Can New Jersey lawyers pay for leads?
RPC 7.2(c) and 7.3(d) allow paying for advertising and the fees of bar-approved or not-for-profit referral services, and bar paying anyone to recommend you. The rules don't mention lead generators by name, so check a platform's pricing and wording with ethics counsel before signing up.
What areas does the Supreme Court of New Jersey certify?
Rule 1:39 lists civil trial, criminal trial, matrimonial law, workers' compensation law, municipal court trial, Tax Court law and residential real estate law. The rule was last amended on October 6, 2026.
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. We couldn't find an index of the advertising Committee's published opinions on njcourts.gov on October 18, 2026, so this guide relies on the rules and guidelines alone. Platforms and rules change, so check the current version before you act on any of it. This is marketing guidance, not legal advice.
- New Jersey Courts, Rules of Court (includes amendments effective on or before Sept. 1, 2026), Part 1 Appendices: RPC 7.1 to 7.5 and Attorney Advertising Guidelines 1 to 4
- New Jersey Courts, Rules of Court text service, Rule 1:19A-3 (inquiries and advisory opinions of the advertising Committee)
- New Jersey Courts, Rules of Court text service, Rule 1:39 Specialty Certification (amended October 6, 2026)
- New Jersey Courts, Supreme Court Committees: Committee on Attorney Advertising
- New Jersey Courts, Attorney Resources: Ethics Compliance Hotline
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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