Go read Jayne Reardon’s latest, “Re-Regulating Lawyers for the 21st Century,” which provides an excellent overview of a series of attorney regulatory changes being floated in a number of states. While the process in California seems to be attracting the most attention, developments in other states may well outpace it. I wouldn’t have thought it possible a year ago, but Arizona seems to be on the road to doing two things I’ve long called for:
- Eliminating the archaic restrictions on advertising and referral services in Rule 7.2
- Eliminating the fee-splitting provisions in Rule 5.4
These changes may seem like small potatoes next to proposals like allowing outside investment in law firms. But eliminating these rules should be a much easier proposition, and doing so could unblock a lot of potential innovation in consumer legal offerings.