AI search for Arkansas law firms

Four rules every Arkansas page has to respect

Rule 7.1(a) and (c): accurate and substantiated. A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services, and comparisons with other lawyers' services must be factually substantiated. An assistant may quote one sentence alone, so each sentence has to be accurate standing alone.

Rule 7.1(b) and (d): results and testimonials. Rule 7.1(b) bars communications likely to create an unjustified expectation about results, and Comment [1] says the rule would ordinarily preclude advertisements about results obtained for a client. Rule 7.1(d) bars testimonials and endorsements, and Rule 7.2(e) says clients or former clients shall not be used in advertisements. A results page or review carousel that works in another state can be a problem here. See whether lawyers can use client testimonials.

Rule 7.2(d): a licensed lawyer and an office. Communications must include the name of at least one lawyer licensed in Arkansas who is responsible for the content, and the location of the office where the advertised services are principally performed.

Rule 7.4(d): certification. A lawyer may not claim certification as a specialist unless certified by an organization approved by an appropriate state authority or accredited by the American Bar Association, according to the ABA's Arkansas certification listing, and the organization must be clearly identified. Rule 7.4(a) still lets you say which fields you practice in.

Filing and record keeping

Arkansas does not run a filing program. Comment [5] to Rule 7.2 says the rule does not require advertising to be reviewed before dissemination. What Rule 7.2(b) does require is a copy or recording of each advertisement or communication, kept for five years after its last dissemination along with a record of when and where it was used. For a website that changes often, dated copies of each published version are the simplest way to meet that.

Where Arkansas lawyers should look for AI guidance

For generative AI, the reference point is ABA Formal Opinion 512, issued July 29, 2024, the ABA's first formal ethics guidance on lawyers' use of generative AI tools. It does not address marketing. The Supreme Court's Office of Professional Conduct publishes the current Arkansas Rules of Professional Conduct, so check there for any Arkansas-specific guidance before relying on national guidance alone.

Whatever the drafting method, Rules 7.1 and 7.2 govern the page. Our answer on whether lawyers can use AI to write website content covers the practical side.

Arkansas questions need Arkansas answers

Arkansas has no separate probate court. According to the Arkansas Judiciary's circuit court overview, Amendment 80 took effect July 1, 2001 and eliminated separate courts of law and equity, and since January 1, 2002 circuit courts have had five subject-matter divisions: criminal, civil, probate, domestic relations, and juvenile.

A page that sends an Arkansas family to "the probate court" or "chancery court" uses names that no longer describe the system. "The probate division of circuit court in your county" is the accurate phrase, and the one an assistant should repeat.

Arkansas markets

Market guides cover the courts and local questions specific to each area:

• Little Rock

In Little Rock, new civil, domestic, and probate cases are all filed through one clerk's office at the Pulaski County Courthouse.

What we build for Arkansas firms

• Practice-area pages without testimonials or results claims that Rule 7.1 restricts
• Pages that name an Arkansas-licensed responsible lawyer and the office location in the body
• Dated page versions, so your five-year advertising records are easy to keep

For personal injury firms, Rule 7.1(b) and (d) change how results and reviews can appear. For estate planning firms, the probate division of circuit court is the first fact to get right. For family law firms, domestic relations is a circuit division too.

Neighboring states

If your firm takes clients from across a state line, each page should say which state's law it explains and where your attorneys are licensed. See the Tennessee guide, Texas guide, Louisiana guide, and Mississippi guide for how those states differ.

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