Lawyer advertising-what's the first thought that comes to mind? Likely it is the late-night
television commercial for a failed medical device or a mass tort. Images of sledgehammers,
swiveling gavels, flames, or even aliens appear with a voiceover asking:" Have you or
someone you know been injured? If so, call now!"'Selling lawyers is a big business,
projected to soon reach almost a billion dollars. 2 The main source individuals use to
actually find an attorney when in need, however, is not that late-night television commercial …

Abstract When Justice Blackmun authored the famed opinion striking down the universal
ban on lawyer advertising in Bates v. Arizona State Bar, he envisioned opening the market
to information and competition in ways that would address a long-enduring access to justice
problem for low and moderate income individuals. Nearly a half-century later, the same
access to justice gap endures. Yet lawyer advertisements proliferate, ranging from late night
television commercials with flames and aliens to website profiles with performance reviews …