This guide applies AI search for law firms to Arizona: the advertising rules, what Arizona has said about AI, and why Arizona questions need Arizona answers.
Three rules every Arizona page has to respect
ER 7.1 says a lawyer shall not make or knowingly permit a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services. Under ER 7.1(a), a communication is misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or leaves out a fact needed to keep the whole statement from misleading. Comment [2] adds that promising or guaranteeing a result is misleading, and that a truthful report of past results may be misleading if it leads a reasonable person to form an unjustified expectation of the same outcome.
ER 7.1(b) says a lawyer shall not state or imply being certified as a specialist unless the lawyer meets the requirements of Arizona Supreme Court Rule 44. The 2021 amendments loosened the rest: comment [6] says a lawyer is generally permitted to say they "specialize in" or are a "specialist" in a field based on experience, subject to the false or misleading standard. Comment [8] requires the certifying organization to be named in any communication about certification.
ER 7.1(c) requires any communication under the rule to include the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or law firm.
Why this matters in AI search: an assistant may quote one sentence with nothing around it. "Phoenix's certified DUI specialist" with no Rule 44 certification behind it is then the only thing the reader sees.
Filing and review
The State Bar of Arizona's ethics guidance on ER 7.1 says the bar does not have to review advertising before it runs. Lawyers may ask for a voluntary review by the State Bar's Practice 2.0 Department. It also says listing a prior result that could identify a former client requires that client's consent.
What Arizona has said about AI
Two documents matter. The Arizona Supreme Court's Steering Committee on Artificial Intelligence and the Courts published "Generative AI: Ethical Best Practices for Lawyers and Judges" on November 14, 2024. It tells lawyers to verify all facts, law, and citations in AI output, to protect confidential information, and not to bill for time saved. It also says firms should disclose when a client is talking with an AI chatbot rather than a person.
The State Bar of Arizona also publishes "Guidance for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law in Arizona." Neither document sets rules for website marketing. Your pages are governed by ER 7.1 whoever drafts them, which is why every page we deliver goes through attorney review. The wider picture is in our roundup of state AI ethics opinions.
Arizona questions need Arizona answers
Generic legal content fails in AI search because it answers the national question, not the local one. Probate is a clear example. In Arizona, the "court" for probate is the superior court under A.R.S. 14-1201, and applications for informal probate go to the registrar under A.R.S. 14-3301(B). Under A.R.S. 14-3302, the registrar issues a written statement of informal probate once the required findings are made and at least 120 hours have passed since the death.
A page that says every estate goes before a probate judge gets Arizona wrong. The estate planning guide shows how state detail decides citations for that practice.
Arizona markets
We write for firms statewide. Market guides cover the questions and local facts specific to each area:
Phoenix pages have to reflect a Maricopa County court system that spreads family cases across several regional centers, not one downtown building.
What we build for Arizona firms
- Practice-area pages written to ER 7.1, with "specialist" and "certified" language checked against Rule 44 certification
- County pages only where you take clients, with the superior court locations named correctly
- Answer posts for the questions Arizona clients ask, each linked to the right practice page
Practice guides: personal injury, where ER 7.1 comment [2] on past results applies to every case list, and family law, where the courthouse a reader needs depends on where in the county they live.
Neighboring states
Some Arizona firms take matters from California readers. A page that addresses them should say which state's law it explains and where your attorneys are licensed. The California guide covers that state's rules.
Common questions
Can an Arizona lawyer say they specialize in a practice area?
Since January 1, 2021, comment [6] to ER 7.1 generally permits a lawyer to say they "specialize in" a field based on experience, as long as the statement is not false or misleading. Claiming to be a certified specialist is different: ER 7.1(b) requires compliance with Arizona Supreme Court Rule 44, and the certifying organization must be named.
Do Arizona lawyer websites have to be filed with the State Bar?
The State Bar's ethics guidance says advertising does not have to be reviewed before it runs. Lawyers may ask the Practice 2.0 Department for a voluntary review.
Must an Arizona firm disclose that website copy was drafted with AI?
Neither Arizona AI document sets a rule for marketing copy. The page is still a communication under ER 7.1, so it must be accurate, not misleading, and reviewed by a lawyer.
Keep reading
Sources
- Arizona Supreme Court, Order R-20-0030 amending ERs 7.1 to 7.5, Rule 42 (August 27, 2020, effective January 1, 2021)
- Arizona Supreme Court, Recent Amendments to the Rules of the Supreme Court
- State Bar of Arizona, ER 7.1 Communications Concerning a Lawyer's Services and ER 7.3 Solicitation of New Clients
- Arizona Supreme Court Steering Committee on AI and the Courts, Generative AI: Ethical Best Practices for Lawyers and Judges (November 14, 2024)
- State Bar of Arizona, Guidance for the Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the Practice of Law in Arizona
- A.R.S. 14-1201, definitions
- A.R.S. 14-3301, informal probate or appointment proceedings
- A.R.S. 14-3302, informal probate; duty of registrar