Last week, the Indian Bar Association in India issued a lawyer’s law firm to avoid advertising on social media or other platforms. This is after the DSK law firm reportedly launched an instagram advertisement. What rules must lawyers follow for themselves?
What did DSK get legal in trouble?
At the beginning of this month, DSK Legal’s law firm released an advertisement for Instagram marketing and presented actors Rahul Bose. In the advertisement that has now been removed from the platform, Bose shows how DSK Legal’s documents sign without correction to be confirmed as the company is trustworthy. However, advertising caused resistance when lawyers stressed that the rule of 36 of the Indian Bar Association (BCI) prohibits legal brotherhood from advertising their service.
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BCI is a statutory body established under the 1961 defense lawsuit. It also advocates the professional interests of lawyers.
How did the Indian Bar Association react?
BCI sent a notice of the cause of DSK Legal and asked her to overthrow the video and answer the announcement within 10 days. The Council also issued a press release that reminded lawyers and legal companies that the rules prohibit them to select work through advertising, even on online platforms such as just dial or quikr. BCI also said that lawyers must not publicly perform at religious, cultural and other public events, enjoy marketing of content on social media, or run digital advertising. The Council added that the so -called “legal inflores” spread misinformation on important laws, such as the Tax Act of goods and services and citizens (amendments), and explicitly banned lawyers from the use of “Bollywood actors” and “influenced” to support their services.
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What step can the errant lawyers face?
Lawyers and legal companies violating Rule 36 may be suspended from practical law, their entry in the bar and even face contempt for court proceedings. In addition, social media platforms may be abusing these lawyers’, responsible under Section 79 of the 2000 Information Technology Act. In its BCI press release, they asked these platforms to test all legal content and remove disinformations as quickly as possible.
But why can’t lawyers advertise?
The Council framed these rules to protect the “noble services” of lawyers and ensured that it was not comodified by advertising. This is unlike another market where lawyers can operate advertising such as the US, best documented by OTT drama better call Saul. Other legal professional councils also prohibit advertising. The Indian Medical Council prohibits doctors from direct advertising themselves or its services. The Architecture Council prescribes sophisticated rules on how architects can advertise themselves and their companies, including the size of the font that they can use for their name.
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How did these rules affect social media?
It made it difficult to promote advertising rules. Most of these rules were framed in the era in front of the Internet and do not reflect the changing marketing landscape. Lawyers, architects, doctors and other clicking on YouTube and Instagram content will appeal to potential customers and bypass these archaic rules. Many also claim that the blanket on ads seems to be out of contact with reality. In 2022, the Council of Architecture attracted extensive criticism for warning architects and companies against the promotion of their work on social media. The architects of the new age often use reels to promote projects.
(Tagstotranslate) Indian Bar Association (T) Law Offices (T) ADS on Social Media (T) DSK Legal (T) Instagram (T) Rahul Bose (T) BCI
