Washington State Bar Association Ethics Opinions
Free plain-English summaries of legal ethics opinions issued by the Washington State Bar Association, with full citations and source links on every page.
No Washington State Bar Association opinions match these filters
Try a different search term or clear the filters.
Can a lawyer be 'of counsel' to more than one firm, or a partner in two firms, and use the lawyer's name in each firm name?
The committee was of the opinion that there was no ethical impropriety with any of the multi-firm relationships posed, but that the lawyers should be aware of RPC 1.7 conflicts, RPC 1.10 imputed disqu…
Can a professional service corporation advertise under a short firm name without showing 'Inc.' or 'P.S.'?
The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits using a firm name without indicating incorporation, though it could not advise on compliance with the relev…
Can a lawyer who refers insurance-related work to a firm and does work for its clients be designated 'of counsel' to that firm?
The committee was of the opinion that, on the facts presented, the use of the term 'of counsel' was probably appropriate, while flagging the fee-splitting restrictions in RPC 1.5 and the conflict requ…
Can a lawyer share office space with an independent insurance claims adjuster who is not a lawyer?
The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits a lawyer from sharing office space with an independent claims adjuster.
Can two law firms describe themselves on their letterhead as 'affiliated with' each other?
The committee was of the opinion that such letterhead must comply with RPC 7.5(d), and it was not clear to the committee that the proposed 'affiliated with' letterhead would do so.
Can a lawyer associated with a firm be described as a 'consultant' on the firm's business cards?
The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit using the term 'consultant' on a business card to describe a Washington lawyer associated with the fir…
How can two solo practitioners who share an office answer a shared phone line without implying they are a partnership?
The committee concluded that answering 'Law offices of A and B' would be misleading under RPC 7.1 because it implies a partnership, but that forms like 'Law Office of A and Law Office of B,' 'Law Offi…
Can a lawyer team up with a nonlawyer to run a medical-ethics consulting practice and share fees and a joint name?
The committee concluded that whether the consulting work was the practice of law was a legal question it could not decide, but that to the extent the lawyer would be practicing law, the lawyer could n…
Can a sole practitioner's employed associate use the firm letterhead, or must the associate have separate stationery?
The committee advised that the recent amendment to RPC 7.5 was not intended to prohibit a sole practitioner from hiring associates and letting them use the law firm letterhead; the amendment's purpose…
Can a lawyer who bought out a partnership keep using the partnership name when the former partner is now an employed associate?
The committee was of the opinion that the lawyer could not keep using the partnership name where the lawyer had bought the partnership and the former partner was now an employed associate; but if the …
Can a group of in-house lawyers use common pleading paper or letterhead listing all their names?
The committee was of the opinion that a group of in-house counsel may use common stationery or pleading paper listing their names if it identifies them as members of the employer's legal department; p…
Can a sole practitioner's employed associate use the firm letterhead, or must the associate have separate stationery?
The committee advised that the recent amendment to RPC 7.5 was not intended to prohibit a sole practitioner from hiring associates and letting them use the law firm letterhead; the amendment's purpose…
Can a law firm put a lawyer-association's logo on its letterhead?
The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit a firm from displaying a lawyer-association logo on its letterhead, provided that neither its use nor …
Can a law firm put a title like 'international trade consultant' on a nonlawyer employee's business cards and letterhead?
The committee was of the opinion that using such a title for a nonlawyer would not be improper so long as the nonlawyer does not engage in the unauthorized practice of law (which would make the firm v…
Can a law firm include in its firm name the name of a lawyer who is not a partner of the firm?
No. The committee was of the opinion that RPC 7.5(d) prohibits including a non-partner lawyer's name in the firm name, because it implies that those lawyers practice in a partnership when that is not …
Can a law firm use the word 'Courthouse' in its address or the name of its office building?
Yes. The committee concluded that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit a firm from using the word 'Courthouse' in its address or the name of its office building.
If a firm partner takes a part-time public appointment but stays a partner, can his name remain in the firm name, and can he call himself 'of counsel'?
The committee was of the opinion that a partner who accepts an interstate-council appointment but continues to practice with the firm could keep his name in the firm name, but could not identify himse…
Can a lawyer put 'Ph.D.' on business cards, letterhead, and telephone book advertisements?
Yes, if accurate. The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit a lawyer from adding 'Ph.D.' to business cards, letterhead, or telephone book advert…
Can a firm list lawyers who are inactive in other states on its letterhead?
The committee was of the opinion that, because RPC 7.1 prohibits misleading communications about lawyers, a firm that wishes to list lawyers who are inactive in other states must identify their specif…
Can a law firm keep using a former partner's name in the firm name after he leaves to start his own practice?
No. The committee was of the opinion that the firm could not continue to use the name of a former partner who is no longer associated with the firm but is otherwise in the practice of law, because doi…
Can a lawyer use 'and associates' in a firm name when the other lawyers are not actually firm associates?
No. The committee concluded that, on the facts presented, RPC 7.5(d) and 7.1 prohibit using 'and associates' in the firm name because the other lawyers are not in fact associates of the firm. It added…
Can a sole practitioner put 'associates' on the letterhead because he regularly works with other independent lawyers?
The committee unanimously concluded that a sole practitioner's use of 'associates' on the letterhead would be misleading, because the public would be led to believe the lawyer employs other lawyers in…
Can two lawyers who are not partners share a letterhead that lists both of their names?
On split votes, the committee concluded that a letterhead listing two lawyers, each separately identified as 'attorney at law' with their names stacked and a line between them, did not falsely lead th…
Can a lawyer let a collection agency send debt letters over the lawyer's printed name from an office the agency staffs and runs?
No. The committee concluded that authorizing a collection agency to send debt letters over the lawyer's printed name, from an office run by agency employees and held out as the lawyer's law office, wo…
How does Washington treat firm names, letterhead, and a Washington firm's association with law firms in other states?
The committee did not write its own analysis; it became aware of ABA Formal Opinion 84-351, on firm names, letterhead, and association with law firms in other states, and adopted that opinion.
What titles can a non-admitted law school graduate use, and can the title appear on business cards and letterhead?
Per the opinion, 'legal intern' may be used only if the employee complies with Rule 9 of the Admission to Practice Rules, while 'law clerk,' 'paralegal,' or 'legal assistant' may be used if not mislea…
Can a lawyer represent a husband in post-dissolution proceedings when the lawyer's former firm once consulted the wife, if the lawyer learned no confidences?
The committee concluded that a lawyer who was formerly with a firm the wife had consulted about a dissolution, but who gained no confidences, was not prohibited by RPC 1.10(b) from representing the hu…
After a partner leaves a two-lawyer firm, can the remaining lawyer keep using the departed lawyer's name in the firm name?
The committee concluded that once the lawyer took a position with a legal services agency, the firm could not continue to use his name, because doing so would be misleading and would violate RPC 7.5(d…
Can a firm keep a lawyer's name in the firm name when that lawyer also works full time as a government hearing officer?
The committee concluded that a lawyer who continues to practice with the firm between eight and twenty hours a week while employed full time as a hearing examiner would appear to be 'actively and regu…
Can a lawyer who left a firm stay on its letterhead, or be listed as 'retired,' while practicing at a new firm?
No. The committee found it misleading to keep a departed lawyer on the old firm's letterhead or to list him as 'retired' while he practiced elsewhere; only if he was 'of counsel' to both firms could h…
Can a lawyer post a sign showing that he is a consul next to his law firm sign?
The committee concluded that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct would prohibit a lawyer from posting a sign indicating that he was a consul next to or below his law firm sign.
Can a Washington firm list an out-of-state lawyer as an 'associated office' on its letterhead?
Yes. The committee concluded that under RPC 7.5 a Washington firm could list an Oregon lawyer as 'associated offices' so long as the Oregon address was shown to mark the practice limitation, and the f…
Can a law firm keep using a partner's name on its letterhead after that partner withdraws and opens a solo practice?
No. The committee concluded that continuing to use letterhead bearing the withdrawn lawyer's name and the firm's partnership designation, after the lawyer had withdrawn and set up a solo practice, wou…
Can a law firm include an associate who is not a partner in the firm name?
No. The committee concluded that a firm name listing an associate alongside the partners (A, B, P.S., & C) would violate RPC 7.5(d) because it would imply a partnership that did not exist and that the…
Can a lawyer say 'escrow and real estate matters' on the letterhead, and can a two-lawyer firm call itself 'Doe and Associates'?
The committee concluded that putting 'escrow and real matters' on the sign, letterhead, and cards would imply the lawyer was a specialist and is prohibited by RPC 7.4, though the lawyer may state whet…
Can lawyers who only share office space list all their names together on a shared door sign and letterhead?
The committee concluded that office-sharing lawyers could list their names in a vertical list with dividing lines on the door sign, but that the same format on a shared letterhead would violate RPC 7.…
Can a law firm list nonlawyers like a Rule 9 intern or office manager on its office sign or letterhead?
The committee concluded that although the old Code (DR 1-102) prohibited listing nonlawyers on office signs, the Rules of Professional Conduct effective September 1, 1985 contain no such prohibition, …
Can a Washington sole practitioner advertise an affiliation with an out-of-state firm, or have the office phone answered 'attorneys at law'?
The committee concluded that a Washington lawyer who was neither a partner nor an employee of an out-of-state firm could not advertise an affiliation with non-Washington lawyers, and that a sole pract…
Can a lawyer rent office space from a nonlawyer-owned business that uses a law-related name and may be practicing law without a license?
On the limited facts, the committee said the nonlawyer entity might be engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, and that if the lawyer were aiding that practice, the lawyer's conduct would violate…
Can two lawyers run an independent law firm out of the offices of a non-law business like a management consulting firm?
On the facts described, the committee unanimously found no ethical impropriety in two lawyers operating an independent law partnership from a management consulting firm's offices, where the law firm k…
Can lawyers who share office space but are not partners use 'law offices,' or a solo use 'and associates,' or call someone 'of counsel'?
The committee concluded that non-partners may not hold themselves out as partners by using 'law offices'; that it is inherently misleading for a sole practitioner with no associates to use 'and associ…
Can a client send a letter drafted by their lawyer out on the lawyer's letterhead?
The committee suggested that clients write and sign their own letters; a letter drafted by the attorney should not go out on the attorney's letterhead, or, if it does, both the client and the attorney…
Browse Washington State Bar Association opinions by topic
Legal ethics opinions from the Washington State 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.