Colorado Bar Association Ethics Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of legal ethics opinions issued by the Colorado Bar Association, with full citations and source links on every page.
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Can a Colorado lawyer pay to participate in an online lawyer-marketing or lead-generation program, or does Rule 7.2 treat it as a prohibited paid referral service?
It depends on whether the program is a directory or a referral service. The opinion concludes that under Colo. RPC 7.2 a lawyer may pay the fixed costs of an online directory listing that identifies i…
Can a Colorado lawyer participate in a prepaid or group legal service plan, and what conditions must the plan meet?
The opinion concluded that a lawyer may participate in a prepaid legal service plan only if the plan complies with the governing rules: the plan member (not the plan) must be the client, the plan must…
Can a Colorado lawyer advertise as 'experienced' in personal injury or other litigation areas without substantial trial experience?
The opinion concluded that a lawyer who advertises must be or promptly become competent in the advertised area, that a lawyer without substantial trial experience misleads the public by claiming to be…
Can a Colorado lawyer send a newsletter about legal developments to clients and prospective clients, and must the lawyer disclose if someone else wrote it?
The opinion concluded that a lawyer may send a newsletter on current legal developments to existing clients and to non-clients, even where pecuniary gain is a significant motive, so long as it contain…
When can a Colorado lawyer use the term 'associates' on a letterhead, and when is it misleading?
The opinion concluded that it is improper to use 'associates' to describe lawyers who merely share office space and some costs but do not share responsibility or liability for each other's acts, and i…
Can a law firm keep its offices inside the premises of a financial-institution client when a firm member is also an executive of the institution?
The opinion concluded that a firm may locate its offices in a financial-institution client's premises even when a firm member is an executive there, but the firm must take great care that the close co…
Can a Colorado lawyer who only rents office space to other lawyers list them as part of his firm or as associated with him?
The opinion concluded that a lawyer who merely rents space to other lawyers may not represent, by letterhead, phone listing, or otherwise, that they are associated with him or part of his firm, becaus…
Can Colorado lawyers who only share office space and expenses list each other as "associates" on their letterheads?
The opinion concluded that lawyers whose only real relationship is sharing office space and expenses may not list each other as "associates" on their letterheads, because that implies a partnership or…
Can a professional corporation made up of lawyers be a partner in a Colorado law partnership, and how must the firm describe it?
The opinion concluded that it is ethically proper for a professional corporation consisting of one or more lawyers to practice law in partnership with individual lawyers or other professional corporat…
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Legal ethics opinions from the Colorado Bar Association interpret the rules of professional conduct for working lawyers, in response to inquiries from members and committees. They are not binding like court discipline decisions, but courts and discipline boards treat formal opinions as substantial guidance on how the rules apply. Every opinion above has a plain-English question and short answer, plus a link to the original source on the bar's site.