From Praise to Penalty: How to Harness Client Testimonials Without Breaking Ethics Rules

The backbone of ABA Model Rule 7.1. It forbids any communication that is false or misleading, and it reminds us that a lie by omission is still a lie. Companion Rule 8.4(c) brands dishonesty as professional misconduct. Put bluntly, if a testimonial suggests a guaranteed result, hides that the speaker was paid, or masks the speaker’s identity, the lawyer has stepped across the line, no matter how glowing the praise. 

South Carolina’s Supreme Court drove that point home in April 2025. In In re Hostilo, the lawyer’s website buzzed with client endorsements but lacked the fine print: Were these real clients? Were they paid? Could future clients expect the same results? The Court found violations of State counterparts to Rule 7.1(a) and (b), as well as Rule 7.1(d), which requires disclaimers and identification. No one alleged the comments were fake, yet the omissions alone earned the lawyer a public reprimand. 

The Court’s earlier ruling in In re Lord, 807 S.E.2d 696 (2017), told a similar story. Lord claimed his auto-generated AVVO profile encouraged happy clients to rate him, then let the accolades ride without a clear “past results do not guarantee…” notice. While the testimonials were probably genuine, the presentation was still misleading, earning Lord a public reprimand. Together, the two opinions teach that truth plus context equals compliance, and truth without context can still hurt you. 

Regulators outside the bar are circling, too. In August 2024, the Federal Trade Commission implemented a ban on fake or undisclosed reviews across all industries. Firms that stuff Google with AI-generated five-star blurbs or pay influencers under the table can face stiff civil penalties, and bar authorities can piggyback on those findings. Yelp has already sued a San Diego bankruptcy outfit, alleging staff and friends posed as ecstatic clients (“This firm seriously rocks!”) to boost ratings. The complaint alone damaged credibility before a judge ever weighed in. 

So, how do you harness genuine praise without triggering sirens? Begin with written consent that clearly outlines exactly what will be quoted and where. Confirm the speaker was a real client or, if not, label the relationship plainly—“paid actor,” “referring attorney,” or “family member.” Add an easy-to-spot disclaimer: “Every case is different; prior outcomes don’t guarantee future success.” Post it in the same font size as the praise, not in mouse print. Review third-party platforms monthly, flag suspicious posts, and keep screenshots of all content removed. 

Those housekeeping chores pay an SEO dividend. Google’s quality raters reward transparency signals—the very disclaimers that ethics rules demand. Fresh, verified testimonials feed authority metrics and outperform spammy walls of hype, which search engines now downgrade. Over time, the firm that plays it straight climbs past rivals who chase shortcuts. 

The bottom line is simple. Testimonials work because people trust people. Preserve that trust. Tell the whole story, label relationships, insert realistic disclaimers, and police your own storefront. Do that, and you will sleep at night knowing the exact words that win new clients will stand up to a skeptical judge, an FTC investigator, or the state disciplinary board. Ethical practices, in the end, are not a leash; they are a marketing asset you possess.