AEO and AI SEO for New York Law Firms

Three rules every New York page has to respect

Rule 7.1(a) says a lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services. That includes a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or an omission that makes a statement materially misleading.

Rule 7.1(c) bars stating or implying certification as a specialist unless the certifying organization is approved by an appropriate state, District of Columbia, or U.S. territory authority, or accredited by the ABA, and is clearly identified. It replaces former Rule 7.4, now reserved.

Rule 7.1(d) requires the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or firm responsible for the content.

Why this matters more in AI search: an assistant may show one sentence from your page alone, so each sentence has to be accurate without its neighbors.

What changed on June 1, 2026

The four Departments of the Appellate Division adopted the amendments by joint order dated May 27, 2026, effective June 1, 2026, amending Rules 1.0, 7.1, 7.3, and 7.4. According to the New York State Bar Association's summaries of the change, the old requirement to label advertising "Attorney Advertising" is gone, as is the mandatory "Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome" disclaimer, and the old filing and recordkeeping requirements for solicitations were eliminated.

An older New York site may still carry labels and disclaimers that are no longer required. And a results statement can still mislead under Rule 7.1(a) if it leaves out facts a reader needs.

What New York bar groups have said about AI

The New York State Bar Association's House of Delegates approved the "Report and Recommendations of the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Artificial Intelligence," as amended, on April 6, 2024. Its guidelines tell lawyers to be cautious when using AI tools for advertising or solicitation, citing the pre-2026 text of Rule 7.1.

The New York City Bar Association's Professional Ethics Committee issued Formal Opinion 2024-5, "Generative AI in the Practice of Law," on August 7, 2024. It lists the advertising and solicitation rules among the duties to consider when using generative AI, and favors guardrails over new AI-specific rules.

Neither creates a separate AI rule for marketing. Rule 7.1 governs your pages whoever drafts them, which is why every page we deliver goes through attorney review. See whether lawyers can use AI to write website content.

New York questions need New York answers

In New York, the State Constitution continues a Surrogate's Court in each county, with jurisdiction over all actions and proceedings relating to the affairs of decedents. A page that tells a New York family to "go to probate court" names a court that does not exist under that name here.

Divorce is another example. The New York courts describe the Supreme Court as the only court that can grant a divorce, while the Family Court handles family disputes other than ending a marriage, including custody, support, and paternity. A page that sends a reader to Family Court for a divorce gets the first step wrong.

The estate planning guide shows how court names shape one practice's pages, and the family law guide covers the questions parents ask before they call.

New York markets

We write for firms across the state. Market guides cover the local facts that differ by area:

New York City spans five counties with separate court locations. In Erie County, places that share a name can have different local courts.

What we build for New York firms

Practice-area pages written to amended Rule 7.1, with certification language checked against Rule 7.1(c)
County and borough pages only where you take clients, with the right court named for each matter
Answer posts for the questions New York clients ask, each linked to the right practice page

Practice guides: personal injury and criminal defense, plus estate planning and family law above.

Neighboring states

If your pages address readers across a state line, say which state's law each page explains and where your attorneys are licensed. See the guides for New Jersey firms, Pennsylvania firms, and Massachusetts firms.

Common questions

Can a New York lawyer call themselves a specialist on their website?

A certification claim is allowed only under Rule 7.1(c), with an approved or ABA-accredited certifying organization clearly named. Phrases such as "practice limited to" or "focuses on" remain subject to Rule 7.1(a), so they must be true and not misleading.

Do New York law firm websites still need the words "Attorney Advertising"?

The amended rules effective June 1, 2026 removed that labeling requirement, according to the New York State Bar Association's summaries of the joint order. Rule 7.1(d) still requires the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm.

Does New York require firms to disclose that marketing copy was drafted with AI?

Neither the State Bar task force report nor NYC Bar Formal Opinion 2024-5 sets a specific disclosure rule for marketing copy. What matters under Rule 7.1 is that the content is accurate and not misleading, and that a lawyer reviewed it.

AI search for New York law firms