Most law firm copywriting calls the firm’s lawyers experienced and aggressive and promises they will fight for you. Three websites in a row make the same promise.
Bar rules restrict superlatives like “best” and comparisons and limit past-result claims, so copy falls back on safe adjectives.
Law firm copywriting gets better with specific, checkable facts, written within ABA Model Rule 7.1 and your state’s rules.
Law firm copy sounds the same because the rules restrict the easy claims, so every firm uses the same safe adjectives.
Specific, checkable facts make copy distinct and keep it within the rules.
Why Law Firm Copywriting Ends Up Sounding the Same
Law firm copywriting converges because the claims that would set a firm apart are the ones the rules limit. A firm generally cannot call itself the best without proof or promise outcomes, though rules vary by state. What remains is a short list of words every firm can say, such as experienced and dedicated.
Readers do not read those words closely. In Nielsen Norman Group’s 1997 research, “79 percent of our test users always scanned any new page they came across; only 16 percent read word-by-word.” The same article reports that users “detested ‘marketese.’”
A scanning reader skips adjectives and stops on facts. When every homepage offers the same adjectives, the firm loses its chance to stand out from competing firm websites.
What the Bar Rules Restrict, and What They Leave Open
ABA Model Rule 7.1 is short: “A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer’s services.” Its comments show where copy most often crosses the line:
- Truthful but misleading claims. Under Comment 2 to Rule 7.1, a true statement can still mislead. It does if it is substantially likely to lead a reasonable person to a conclusion “for which there is no reasonable factual foundation.”
- Past results. Comment 3 says truthful results “may be misleading” if they create “an unjustified expectation that the same results could be obtained for other clients.” The same comment adds that “an appropriate disclaimer or qualifying language” may help.
- Comparisons. An “unsubstantiated comparison” with other firms may mislead.
- Specialist claims. Under Rule 7.2(c), a lawyer may not imply certification as a specialist unless an approved organization certified the lawyer and the copy names it.
States go further. Florida flags past results that are “not objectively verifiable,” according to the Florida Bar’s checklist for internet ads. It also flags statements that “compare or characterize” a firm’s skills without verification. Most copy skips what the rules leave open, which is facts a reader can check. Check your state’s rules, along with the wider attorney advertising ethics rules for content, before publishing.
Swap Adjectives for Facts a Reader Can Check
A checkable fact gives the reader a claim to verify. “Experienced” asks for trust, while “Licensed in Texas since 2009” is verifiable.
Replacements come from the firm’s own record:
- Years licensed and the states and courts where the lawyers practice.
- Languages spoken by the people who answer the phone.
- How intake works: who calls back, how fast, and what the first meeting covers.
- Practice focus stated plainly. Comment 9 to Rule 7.2 generally permits saying a lawyer “concentrates in” a field, subject to Rule 7.1.
Google’s helpful content guidance asks, “Does the content provide original information, reporting, research, or analysis?” Copy built from one firm’s facts answers yes, as strong attorney website content should.
Four Rewrites for Homepage and Practice-Area Copy
Four illustrative rewrites trade homepage adjectives for checkable facts:
- Headline. Before: “Aggressive Injury Lawyers Who Fight for You.” After: “Houston Injury Lawyers Licensed in Texas Since 2009.”
- Hero line. Before: “We get results.” After: “Free consultations in English and Spanish, usually within one business day.”
- Practice-area opener. Before: “Our experienced team handles all types of car accidents.” After: “Our car accident practice handles Texas claims involving commercial trucks and rideshare drivers.”
- Call to action. Before: “Contact the best lawyers today!” After: “Call to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.”
Nielsen Norman Group advises starting headings “with the words carrying most information.” Before publishing a rewrite, confirm the fact behind it, such as the callback time intake actually meets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Law firm copywriting is the writing on a firm’s homepage, practice-area pages and calls to action, meant to turn visitors into clients.
Under ABA Model Rule 7.2 Comment 9, a law firm website can generally call a lawyer a specialist based on experience or training. It cannot imply certification unless an approved organization certified the lawyer and the copy names it. Rules vary by state; Florida requires such claims to be objectively verifiable.
Law firm copy can mention past results where the state allows it. ABA Model Rule 7.1 Comment 3 warns that truthful results may mislead if they suggest other clients will get the same outcome. A disclaimer or qualifying language may help, though it is no guarantee.
Law firm copywriting sells the firm in a few lines, while legal blog writing teaches the law over hundreds of words. Because readers scan, every claim has to be short and compliant.
- The rules close off superlatives and unsubstantiated comparisons but leave room for facts a reader can check.
- Readers scan pages and skip adjectives, so identical claims give them nothing to stop on.
- Build copy from the firm’s own record and check each line against Rule 7.1 and state rules.
Law Firm Copywriting Built on Your Own Facts
Law firm copywriting stops reading like every other firm’s once each line rests on a fact you can prove. Lexicon’s legal content experts write homepage and practice-area law firm content around those facts. Call 877-486-8123 or contact us online.
