Lawyers can advertise in web
As per Rule 36 of the Bar Council of India Rules,
36. An advocate shall not solicit work or advertise, either directly or indirectly, whether by circulars, advertisements, touts, personal communications, interviews not warranted by personal relations, furnishing or inspiring newspaper comments or producing his photographs to be published in connection with cases in which he has been engaged or concerned. His sign-board or name-plate should be of a reasonable size. The sign-board or name-plate or stationery should not indicate that he is or has been President or Member of a Bar Council or of any Association or that he has been associated with any person or organisation or with any particular cause or matter or that he specialises in any particular type of worker or that he has been a Judge or an Advocate General.
Now, the BCI has amended the Rule to add,
“PROVIDED that this rule will not stand in the way of advocates furnishing website information as prescribed in the Schedule under intimation to and as approved by the Bar Council of India. Any additional other input in the particulars than approved by the Bar Council of India will be deemed to be violation of Rule 36 and such advocates are liable to be proceeded with misconduct under Section 35 of the Advocates Act, 1961.”
I may be permitted a little aside. I remember the days when I was studying Law and in the class, the Professor was explaining that an Advocate cannot have a vulgar advertisement in the Railway Station – “Mr. So & So leading Criminal Lawyer of the City” A beautiful girl in my class asked the Professor, “what is vulgar about such an advertisement?” The Professor replied, “Vulgarity is not a girl in scantily clad clothes revealing her vital assets; a lawyer blatantly advertising himself is more vulgar”
Now that Lawyers can advertise on the web, maybe TIOL can provide a good platform for the tax consultants to advertise. My Sales Team is blissfully ignorant of these developments.