Opinion 379
Question Presented
May an attorney-building owner give to his building the name "Justice Plaza" even though such building is occupied by attorneys, as well as by the County Legal Aid office?
PUBLICITY - NAME OF BUILDING
The name "Justice Plaza" may not properly be given to a building which is owned by a group of attorneys although said building is occupied by the attorneys, as well as the County Legal Aid office.
DR 2-101 prohibits a lawyer from preparing or causing to be prepared any form of public communication that contains professionally self-laudatory statements calculated to attract lay clients. Such prohibition includes any form of commercial publicity. To give a building such name as to imply that occupants of the building are lawyers is no more than commercial publicity. Such name serves no useful purpose, and is a mere form of indirect solicitation.
Canon 1 provides that a lawyer shall assist in maintaining the integrity of the legal profession. Canon 9 provides that a lawyer should avoid even the appearance of professional impropriety. The conduct in question would also violate the spirit of Canon 1 and Canon 9. Despite the numerous changes in business practices, the legal profession is not relaxing the standard against advertising, and should not.
Bluebook Citation
Tex. Comm. On Professional Ethics, Op. 379 (1974)