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Two senior attorneys have agreed that a directory of attorneys can be established in Jamaica to make it easier for the public to locate members of the profession.
Bert Samuels and Emile Leiba, former president of the Jamaican Bar Association, are in support of the advertising regulations, which place restrictions on how attorneys can advertise their services.
However, they accept that while the rules are aimed at protecting the public, they can be tweaked.
The discussion has arisen following reports that attorney Vaughn Bignall is again at loggerheads with the General Legal Council (GLC) about the removal of a sign bearing the name Bignall atop a building in the Corporate Area.
Last year, Mr. Bignall filed a lawsuit against the GLC to determine whether attorneys can lawfully advertise their services.
In response to the situation, Mr. Samuels suggested a directory of attorneys can be beneficial, especially with the numbers in the legal profession growing exponentially every year.
"This is the era of social media, it's the era of mass communication and I think I'm leaning towards...the public's right to know and to be able to find lawyers in different areas of practice; that maybe there could be a directory of lawyers setting out the areas of specialisation and for the public's benefit. It's just that that would go in alphabetical order so that there is no preferential treatment."
Still, he urged young and upcoming attorneys that it is "your work and your worth that will advertise you best."
Mr. Samuels explained that an advertising free for all in the legal profession is problematic as it creates an uneven playing field, where "you could use a lot of money in your advertising programme as a lawyer and attract clients to you, which takes it out of your competence but rather the size of your pocket."
He warned this could lead to a situation similar to what pertains in the United States where people are "bombarded on the screen" with advertisements from lawyers or law firms who tout themselves as the best at whatever specialisation or promise to provide faster work than their counterparts.
Mr. Leiba believes the General Legal Council should spearhead consultation on the issue.
"Do some kind of broader consultation for those who feel prejudiced by the existing rules to lobby and put forward data and a reasonable basis to say, 'Here's how we can strike a better balance to what we have now.' You are trained attorneys, fight for what you perceive to be your right. Perhaps that's how you make your name," he suggested.
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