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                                             95 N.J.L.J. 511
                                            May 25, 1972

ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PROFESSIONAL ETHICS

Appointed by the New Jersey Supreme Court

OPINION 240

Advertising
Dance Program Professional Page

    An attorney has been asked to assist in a fund raising campaign of his religious organization involving the following circumstances:
    Each year the organization has an annual dinner dance. The program for the evening is contained in an ad journal. The members of the organization and their associates purchase space. The journal contains the names of the officers, and the activities sponsored by the organization. In addition to the foregoing, there is one page labeled "Professional Page." This page is subdivided into columns and at the head of each column are listed the various professions, doctors, dentists and lawyers. The professions who donate to the organization for this function have their names only listed under their profession in alphabetical order. Distribution of the journal is limited to those attending the dance.
    We have considered the matter of the use of a lawyer's name in a publication other than an approved law list on a number of occasions, the most recent being Opinion 219, 94 N.J.L.J. 997 (1971). In particular see, also, Opinion 76, 88, N.J.L.J. 367 (1965). The applicable Disciplinary Rules of the Code of Professional Responsibility are DR 2-101 and 102.

    The proposed use of the attorney's name in the "ad journal" does not fall within any of the exceptions listed in DR 2-102 and is improper. While the distribution of the journal may be limited as well as the solicitation of contributions, nevertheless the listing of an attorney's name as a contributor to the organization in a column identifying him as an attorney must be considered improper advertising.

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