930144 | Office of Legal Ethics Counsel & Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri

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Informal Opinion Number: 930144

Rules: 5.5

Law Firms and Associations

Unauthorized Practice of Law

QUESTION: Attorney is considering participating in a broadcast station´s coverage of legal issues. This participation might include reporting and commenting on news stories about law and features providing legal information. Other than in response to questions posed by interviewers in a news capacity, or as part of a broadcast discussion of a specific subject, Attorney does not anticipate commenting or rendering advice about specific factual situations. Attorney is not licensed in Missouri but the broadcast will be in Missouri as well as another state. ANSWER: Assuming Attorney doesn´t have an attorney-client relationship with anyone, including the station, in connection with this situation and assuming that Attorney won´t be giving any legal advice to specific individuals, Attorney´s proposed conduct would not violate the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Informal Opinions are ethics advisory opinions issued by the Office of Legal Ethics Counsel to members of the Bar about Rule 4 (Rules of Professional Conduct), Rule 5 (Complaints and Proceedings Thereon), and Rule 6 (Fees to Practice Law) pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court Rule 5.30(c). Written summaries of select Informal Opinions are published for informational purposes as determined by the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri pursuant to Rule 5.30(c). Informal opinion summaries are advisory in nature and are not binding. These opinions are published as an educational service and do not constitute legal advice.

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