AI search for Tennessee law firms

Four rules every Tennessee page has to respect

RPC 7.1(a): nothing false or misleading. A lawyer shall not make a false or misleading communication about the lawyer or the lawyer's services. An assistant may quote one line with nothing around it, so each line, results and client comments included, has to be accurate standing alone.

RPC 7.1(b): a responsible lawyer named. A communication must include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for its content. A footer satisfies most sites, but naming the attorney in the body keeps the firm identifiable in the passage an assistant actually reads.

Specialist claims. The comments to RPC 7.1 allow a lawyer to say the lawyer practices in particular fields, but not to claim to be a "specialist" or to "specialize" unless the field is patent or admiralty law, or the lawyer is certified by an ABA-accredited organization and has registered that certification with the Commission on Continuing Legal Education. A lawyer may not imply certification by the Commission itself. More in whether a lawyer can call themselves a specialist online.

RPC 7.3: targeted solicitations. Written, recorded, or electronic solicitations to people known to need legal services must carry the words "Advertising Material," subject to exceptions. A general practice page is not a solicitation, but a follow-up email to a named prospect can be.

Record keeping

RPC 7.1(c) requires a lawyer to retain each advertisement for two years after its last dissemination, with a record of when and where it was used, and RPC 7.3 sets a similar duty for solicitations. For a website that changes often, the practical answer is dated copies of each published version. The comments also refer to guidelines the Board of Professional Responsibility may adopt for advertisements such as websites and email, so check the Board's current materials before launch.

Where Tennessee lawyers should look for AI guidance

For generative AI, the reference point Tennessee lawyers can rely on is ABA Formal Opinion 512, issued July 29, 2024, which addresses competence, confidentiality, client communication, meritorious claims, candor toward the tribunal, supervision, and fees. It does not address marketing. The Board of Professional Responsibility publishes its formal ethics opinions in a searchable index, so check it for any Tennessee opinion on AI before relying on national guidance alone.

Whatever the drafting method, RPC 7.1 governs the page. Our answer on whether lawyers can use AI to write website content covers the practical side.

Tennessee questions need Tennessee answers

Which court handles an estate depends on the county. In Davidson County, the Seventh Circuit Court, Probate Division, has exclusive jurisdiction over estate administration, including the probate of wills, according to the Davidson County Circuit Court Clerk. In Shelby County, a separate Probate Court oversees wills and estates, conservatorships, and guardianships at 140 Adams Avenue in Memphis.

A statewide page that tells readers to "file in probate court" is close in Memphis and imprecise in Nashville. Pages that name the actual court for the county you serve give an assistant the right answer to repeat.

Tennessee markets

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

• Nashville
• Memphis

Nashville runs estate matters through a division of its circuit court under a consolidated metropolitan government. Memphis sits in a county of seven cities with a standalone Probate Court.

What we build for Tennessee firms

• Practice-area pages written to RPC 7.1, with the responsible attorney named in the body
• County pages that name the court that actually hears each matter
• Dated page versions, so your two-year advertising records are easy to keep

For estate planning firms, the county probate split above is the first fact to get right. For family law firms, Shelby County's Circuit Court hears divorce and the county runs a Divorce Referee's Office, details a national page will not have. For personal injury firms, results language is where RPC 7.1(a) bites hardest.

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 North Carolina guide, the Georgia guide, and the Virginia guide for how those states' rules compare.

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