Yes — you can use client quotes on your law firm’s website, but only with the client’s written consent, only with the right disclaimers, and only if the quote itself doesn’t violate ABA Model Rule 7.1 by being false, misleading, or creating an unjustified expectation of a similar result. That last clause is where most firms get themselves into trouble.
I’ll walk through what the rule actually requires, what the quote can and can’t say, the photo and video angle, and the states where the rules get noticeably stricter. None of this is legal advice — you have your own bar’s rules to check — but this is the conversation I have with every firm we onboard.
Written consent is non-negotiable
Get it in writing. Every time. A verbal “sure, you can use my story” is not enough — partly because memory drifts, partly because the client’s life circumstances might change, and partly because if a bar complaint or a defamation issue ever surfaces, a signed consent form is what protects you.
A clean consent form covers four things. The specific use (your website, your Google Business Profile, your printed materials, your social channels — list them). The duration (indefinite, or with a sunset date the client can revoke at any time). The client’s right to withdraw consent in writing at a later date. And confirmation that the client has read the quote you’re going to publish and approves it in its final form. That last one matters. Don’t paraphrase a client and then publish what you think they said — show them the exact words.
For confidentiality-sensitive matters — family law, criminal defense, anything involving minors, anything with a sealed record — written consent has to do double duty. It has to acknowledge that the client understands their case details may be partially visible, that they’ve reviewed the redacted version, and that they’re consenting to that specific level of disclosure. If the matter involves a co-party (the other parent in a custody case, a co-defendant), be careful: their consent matters too if their identity is even indirectly identifiable from the quote.
What the quote can — and can’t — say under ABA 7.1
ABA Model Rule 7.1 prohibits false or misleading communications about a lawyer’s services. In the testimonial context, the language most likely to trip you up is anything that creates an “unjustified expectation” — meaning a reasonable reader could conclude that they’d get the same result if they hired you.
Quotes that are almost always safe: praise for responsiveness, communication, compassion, professionalism. “She returned every call within an hour” is fine. “He explained everything in language I could understand” is fine. Quotes that describe how the client felt during the engagement are usually fine.
Quotes that get risky: anything stating or implying a specific outcome. “He got my case dismissed” — risky if displayed without context, because a reader might think dismissal is a typical outcome. “She won me $2 million” — risky for the same reason. “I would have gone to prison without him” — risky because it implies the result was determinative.
The shortest test I use: if the quote describes how the lawyer worked, you’re probably fine. If the quote describes what the lawyer achieved, you need disclaimers — and you may need to rewrite it.
You can still publish outcome-focused quotes, but they need explicit context. The disclaimer language varies by state, but the floor is: “Past results do not guarantee similar outcomes” placed near the quote — not buried in the footer. More on disclaimer placement in what disclaimers do I need on case result pages.
Photos, video, and the redaction question
Photo and video consent is a separate document, or at minimum a separate paragraph in the same consent form. You’re asking for a different right of publicity, and the client should sign off on the medium explicitly. A client agreeing to a written quote has not agreed to have their face on the homepage.
For video testimonials, the consent should also acknowledge that the video can be edited, that you may publish only excerpts, and that the client has the right to review the final cut before publication. For photo, specify whether it’s a stock-style portrait or whether you’re using a photo with their family or office in the frame. Background details matter.
For sensitive practice areas — family law, immigration, criminal defense, mental health — first names plus initials, or first names alone, are often the right call. Sometimes you go further and use “B.K., a Phoenix client” with no photo. The client’s privacy weighed against the marketing value almost always favors restraint. A redacted testimonial is still a testimonial. An over-shared one can be a malpractice exposure.
State-specific variations you actually need to know
The ABA Model Rules are the floor. Several states add layers on top.
New York has specific advertising rules (Rule 7.1 plus DR 2-101) that require certain disclaimers be “clear and conspicuous” — meaning placement and prominence are scrutinized, not just presence. New York also has specific language about testimonials from former clients versus current clients and requires that the testimonial not be paid (other than reimbursement for reasonable costs of the medium).
California requires disclaimers in the same font, size, and format as the testimonial — no shrinking the legal text into 6-point gray. California also has specific rules about “expert” or “specialist” claims that often appear in client quotes (“he’s the best DUI lawyer in San Diego”). If the client’s quote calls you a specialist, you may need a disclaimer that you are not a certified specialist unless you actually are.
Florida historically has had some of the strictest lawyer advertising rules in the country. Testimonials about the quality of legal services or results obtained were heavily restricted until rule changes in recent years loosened things, but Florida still requires specific disclaimer language and prohibits testimonials that are deceptive or misleading. If you practice in Florida, read Rule 4-7.13 and 4-7.14 directly.
Arizona (where I’m based) is closer to the ABA Model Rules baseline, but has its own ethics opinions on testimonials worth reading. Check your jurisdiction’s specific rules before publishing — or have your malpractice carrier or ethics counsel review the consent form and a representative testimonial.
The practical workflow
Here’s how to operationalize this without making it a nightmare. At the close of every matter where the client expresses satisfaction, you do two things. You ask if they’d be willing to leave a Google review (covered in how do I get clients to leave reviews) and you ask if they’d be willing to provide a written quote for your website.
If they say yes, you send them a consent form along with a draft quote pulled from things they’ve actually said in correspondence or the closing meeting. They edit. They sign. You publish. The whole loop takes a week, the quote is in their voice (which makes it more credible), and you have a signed document on file if it ever comes up.
For more on the broader testimonial-versus-review distinction and what ABA 7.1 covers, see what’s the ABA rule on client testimonials and the parent guide reviews, reputation and trust for law firms.