Long time readers of this blog will remember previous posts on whether it is permissible for lawyers to use pre-paid discount services like Groupon to advertise and finance their legal services. There are a number of state opinions out there now but there does not seem to be a general consensus on the matter. The NY Bar Association has approved participating in Groupon (see here), as have North Carolina, South Carolina and Maryland (see here). On the other hand, the Alabama State Disciplinary Commission has ruled attorneys can't use Groupon (see here).
And now, the State Bar of Arizona has issued the most recent opinion on the subject. It found that although perhaps not impossible, it would be very difficult for an attorney to justify participating in Groupon given all the rules that would be implicated. For a discussion of, and a link to, this new opinion you can check out the discussion over at the Legal Ethics Forum. You can access the opinion here.
