Attorney Ad on Court Clerk's Website Aggravates Other Lawyers
Screen shot of ad on clerk’s site, midway down page.
A lawyer’s ad for traffic court representation displayed on the website for the court clerk in Chicago’s Cook County is drawing lots of attention—from fellow practitioners.
One downstate lawyer called the idea of lawyer advertising on a government website “outrageous” in a message he posted on an Illinois State Bar Association Listserv. The lawyer noted disclaimer language on the website, but said there was still an “imprimatur of approval” for the advertising lawyer. “I, for one, believe that no attorney advertising or legal services should be displayed on such a website,” he wrote.
Others are also objecting, according to CBS 2. A federal class action lawsuit filed Thursday by lawyer David Novoselsky says the ads on the website for Cook County Clerk of Circuit Court Dorothy Brown generate cash that she is able to use however she sees fit, Courthouse News Service reports.
However, the Cook County Board approved Brown’s web advertising plan. In a written statement Brown’s office describes the ads as “a creative way to generate new revenue and help Cook County with its financial burdens,” CBS 2 reports.
The Chicago lawyer whose ad appears on the website, Paul Bubaris, says he doesn’t know what the hubbub is all about. “I don’t even see the controversy, to be honest with you,” he told the ABA Journal. “Did you see the website? Did you see [where it says] ‘Your ad here?’ Anyone can advertise on it.”
Bubaris says the ad has been up for a couple weeks. Has he gotten any traffic clients from it? “Not really, actually,” he says.
The website for Cook County Assessor Jim Houlihan also accepts advertising, but has a policy against accepting ads from lawyers, law firms and real estate tax representatives who file appeals with Houlihan’s office, according to CBS 2.
