Opinion 1051

At your request, the Committee again reviewed inquiry item 1051 concerning your client [a legal referral service]. Based upon the information presented by you concerning the operation of [the legal referral service], including the fact that subscribing lawyers pay flat monthly fees not related to the number of referrals received, if any; the service provides three or more resumes to the inquiring consumer who receives those resumes without fees and can receive additional resumes if wished; and that the inquiring consumer is not given legal advice by any employee of [the legal referral service]; the Committee was of the opinion that its previous opinion, item number 935, which you have been given, does indicate that a Washington lawyer may participate in such a proposed referral service. The Committee was further of the opinion that the fact that non-lawyers receive the initial consumer telephone call, screen the call, and refer the consumer to subscribing lawyers would not constitute the unauthorized practice of law and therefore lawyers who participated in the service would not be aiding the unauthorized practice of law.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.