Gift Box OK

An ethics opinion from the Connecticut Statewide Grievance Committee finds that the following approach is permissible:

The proposed advertisement is a card advertising the requesting attorney's services and offering a free one hour consultation. The card will be part of a gift box distributed at a business event hosted by a women's networking group. The reviewing committee concluded that the advertisement complies with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

The advertisement provides the following information: the name of the attorney and her photograph, a listing of the attorney's areas of practice and her education, the attorney's phone number and email address, and an offer for a complimentary one hour consultation. The submitting attorney indicates the proposed advertisement will be enclosed in a gift box containing other products offered by members of the networking group, who paid $25 to be included in the box.

(Mike Frisch)