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As of January 2022 the LSBA maintains a LSBA Lawyer Advertising Filing Search tool which can
be used to view advertisements filed with the LSBA. The uploading of advertisements to the
database is ongoing.

Lawyer Advertising Filing & Evaluation
Under rule 7.7 of the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct, lawyers are obligated to file ALL
non-exempt advertisements and unsolicited written communications with the LSBA Rules of
Professional Conduct Committee, through LSBA Ethics Counsel, prior to or concurrent with first
use/dissemination of the advertisement/communication.

LSBA WEBSITE sets forth Rule Information
• Lawyer Advertising Rules, effective 10-01-2009 (**as amended through 06-02-2016)
• LSBA Handbook on Lawyer Advertising and Solicitation (First Edition, October/November 2008)
• History of LSBA Proposal for the new Rules

• Filing
Please note that an advertisement/communication is not considered “filed” until it has been actually
received and “clocked-in” by LSBA Ethics Counsel, i.e., the date an item is placed within the mail
to be sent to the LSBA generally does not constitute the date of “filing.” Please note, also, that
“filings” are NOT accepted via email or fax.

To be “concurrent”, a “filing” must be received by the LSBA no later than the date of first
use/dissemination of the advertisement/communication (i.e., typically, received by the LSBA on the
same day as first use/dissemination).

• Exempt and Compliant
A list of advertisements/communications that are “exempt” from the filing requirement can be
found in Rule 7.8. It should be noted, of course, that “exempt” does not necessarily mean
“compliant” with the Rules – “exempt” means merely that the Rules do not require filing with the
LSBA but still impose upon the individual lawyer the obligation to reasonably ensure compliance
with the Rules.
• In short, ALL advertisements and unsolicited communications-exempt and non-exempt-must be
compliant with the Rules, or the lawyer risks potential professional discipline.

Questions, comments or suggestions regarding the lawyer advertising and solicitation Rules, the
advertising filing and evaluation process, etc., may be directed to: Ethics Counsel, Richard P.
Lemmler, Jr., 601 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70130; direct dial: (504) 619-0144; fax:
(504) 598-6753.

LSBA Lawyer Fee Dispute Resolution Program

The LSBA Lawyer Fee Dispute Resolution Program was created to provide quick, low cost,
and confidential solutions to fee disputes between clients and attorneys, or between two or more
attorneys, as an alternative to going through the court system.
Although most lawyer-client relationships are concluded without fee disputes, controversies
occasionally arise. There are two ways to start the LSBA legal fee dispute resolution process: 1) by
Demand for Arbitration or (2) by Submission to Arbitration. Arbitration is a voluntary process in
the absence of an existing arbitration clause. If the parties to the fee dispute have agreed in advance
to arbitration, the party wishing to start an arbitration proceeding makes a demand that the advance
agreement be honored. Usually such advance agreement is in the form of an arbitration clause
within the attorney’s fee contract, with that clause providing for arbitration under the LSBA rules.