EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S PAGE December 2021
Online Portal Brings Advertising Review Fully Into Digital Age
This month, I’m excited to introduce you to a new tool designed to make it faster and more convenient for our members to submit advertisements and solicitation communications for State Bar of Texas review and approval.
Lawyers can launch the bar’s new Advertising Review Portal from their My Bar Page at texasbar.com to easily complete an advertising review application, upload media files, pay fees, check the status of recent submissions, and receive status notifications from the bar.
The new portal is the result of months of hard work by State Bar leadership and staff and reflects input from dozens of lawyers and law firms who shared ideas on how to improve the process. “This is very innovative for advertising review and will make it easier to send information and media and receive notifications and approvals quicker,” said Gene Major, the bar’s attorney compliance division director, who helped oversee the portal’s development.
The bar’s Advertising Review Department is responsible for reviewing attorney and law firm advertisements and solicitation communications as required by Part VII of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. In the past, the process has involved mail or email submissions and a series of follow-up communications by mail or email. Lawyers are still free to submit advertisements to the bar the old-fashioned way, but those who use the portal will enjoy a streamlined process and a central repository for all information and communications related to their applications.
The portal’s homepage provides a “how to” video and a detailed user guide. Once logged in, lawyers can submit an advertising review application using a guided application that takes them step by step through the submission process. All forms of digital media are accepted, including documents, images, audio recordings, and video files.
After filing a submission, lawyers can return to the portal anytime to view the status of their applications. If the bar identifies a violation of the disciplinary rules, the lawyer will receive an electronic notification explaining the violation and how to correct it.
The Advertising Review Portal is another example of the State Bar of Texas’ commitment to continuous improvement. Early user feedback has been positive, and I hope everyone who uses the portal will find it beneficial. As always, your feedback is welcome!
Sincerely,
TREY APFFEL
Executive Director,
State Bar of Texas
Editor-in-Chief,
Texas Bar Journal
Trey Apffel can be reached at 512-427-1500, trey.apffel@texasbar.com or
@ApffelT on
Twitter.
