[1] Paragraph (a) of this Rule permits a
lawyer to indicate areas of practice in communications about
the lawyer's services. If a lawyer practices only in certain
fields, or will not accept matters except in a specified
field or fields, the lawyer is permitted to so indicate. A
lawyer is generally permitted to state that the lawyer is a
"specialist," practices a "specialty," or "specializes in"
particular fields, but such communications are subject to
the "false and misleading" standard applied in Rule 7.1 to
communications concerning a lawyer's services.
[2] Paragraph (b) recognizes the
long-established policy of the Patent and Trademark Office
for the designation of lawyers practicing before the Office.
Paragraph (c) recognizes that designation of Admiralty
practice has a long historical tradition associated with
maritime commerce and the federal courts.
[3] Paragraph (d) permits a lawyer to
state that the lawyer is certified as a specialist in a
field of law if such certification is granted by an
organization approved by an appropriate state authority or
accredited by the American Bar Association or another
organization, such as a state bar association, that has been
approved by the state authority to accredit organizations
that certify lawyers as specialists. Certification signifies
that an objective entity has recognized an advanced degree
of knowledge and experience in the specialty area greater
than is suggested by general licensure to practice law.
Certifying organizations may be expected to apply standards
of experience, knowledge and proficiency to insure that a
lawyer's recognition as a specialist is meaningful and
reliable. In order to insure that consumers can obtain
access to useful information about an organization granting
certification, the name of the certifying organization must
be included in any communication regarding the
certification.