New York on the Ethics of Asking Clients for Online Reviews

Here is my recent Daily Record column. My past Daily Record articles can be accessed here.

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New York on the Ethics of Asking Clients for Online Reviews

Obtaining clients used to be simple. Referrals were the primary source of new work, in part because legal ethics rules prohibited most forms of advertising.

However, as the world changed, so too did legal marketing. Regulatory restrictions loosened, and billboards, radio, and television ads became fair game. Not all lawyers used them, but most firms marketed their services beyond traditional methods like word of mouth.

In 2025, it’s a whole different ball game. Gone are the days of phone books and Yellow Page ads. The ubiquity of the online world has completely changed the way that lawyers market their firms and expand their practices. Reputation and referrals continue to be important drivers of new business, but for most firms, the internet’s reach has eclipsed traditional marketing tactics.

Of course, ethical considerations still come into play, and lawyers seeking to take advantage of online marketing should always ensure that their planned course of action is compliant. That’s exactly what a New York immigration law attorney recently did. 

He was interested in obtaining Google reviews from former law firm clients, and before doing so, asked the New York State Bar Association’s Committee on Professional Ethics whether an attorney may “contact former clients to inform them that he has established his own immigration law practice, request that the former clients write Google reviews of the work he previously did on their behalf, and offer them small gifts if they write such reviews?”

The Committee addressed his inquiry in Ethics Opinion 1286. It determined that it was permissible to ask former clients for Google reviews under certain circumstances. First, the gift offered may not be conditioned on the content of the review. Additionally, the client must draft the review; the law firm may not provide a review for the client to post.

The Committee also cautioned lawyers to carefully consider how a publicly available review could impact the client, explaining that a client’s “interests may be placed at risk or compromised in some circumstances by leaving a Google review.”  

Confidential client data must be carefully protected, and lawyers should always consider how the disclosure of certain information could have negative consequences for their clients. Examples include “the former client’s identity and contact information, the nature of the former representation (an immigration matter), and details about the matter which are unlikely to be generally known.”

According to the Committee, Google reviews written by former immigration clients could “inadvertently reveal confidential information about the former client’s immigration matter or status, and thereby pose a risk to the former client’s interests by revealing information that might lead to the disclosure of protected confidential client information to others, including the immigration authorities.”

This analysis is helpful for lawyers seeking to leverage the internet for marketing purposes. Online reviews are a fact of life, and for many legal consumers, they play a key role in deciding which lawyer to hire. 

Savvy practitioners understand the value of online marketing and build review requests into their file-closing process. A short follow-up letter with clear instructions and direct links makes it easy for clients to leave feedback, helping firms develop strong, authentic online reputations.

At the same time, ethics should always guide every aspect of law firm marketing, whether it happens online or off. When something as simple as requesting a Google review can trigger confidentiality and professional responsibility concerns, guidance like this opinion is invaluable for lawyers seeking to ethically expand their firm’s online footprint. 

Nicole Black is a Rochester, New York attorney, author, journalist, and Principal Legal Insight Strategist at 8am, the team behind 8am MyCase, LawPay, CasePeer, and DocketWise.She is the nationally-recognized author of "Cloud Computing for Lawyers" (2012) and co-authors "Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier" (2010), both published by the American Bar Association. She also co-authors "Criminal Law in New York," a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes regular columns for Above the Law, ABA Journal, and The Daily Record, has authored hundreds of articles for other publications, and regularly speaks at conferences regarding the intersection of law and emerging technologies. She is an ABA Legal Rebel, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Women in Legal Tech. She can be contacted at niki.black@mycase.com.