ETHICS OPINION 483-1959 SOLICITATION

NUMBER 483

QUESTION.

 

An associate and myself are now engaged in a project to aid our community. We are having petition signed by persons living in our community, requesting the bus company which services this community to operate buses on a twenty-four hour schedule, instead of the limited schedule now in use. These petitions will he presented to the appropriate government agency and to the bus company. We are not receiving any remuneration for our services from any source whatever.

 

Many persons who have signed these petitions, have requested that we keep them informed of our progress. We wish to do so. The question is this: Would it be proper to use our own legal stationery, which we already have, or would it be necessary to go through the expense of obtaining stationery which would not indicate that we are attorneys.

 

ANSWER.

 

We believe there is nothing improper in the use of the legal stationery in the circumstances described.

 

In informing the signers of the petitions, some of whom have requested such information, of the progress of the bus matter, the attorneys are not soliciting professional employment which is proscribed by Canon 27. Such communications, on the legal stationary of the attorneys, seem to be clearly warranted by the personal relationship existing between the attorneys, serving gratuitously, and the signers of the petitions. (See opinion No. 604 of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York).

 

Dated: October 21, 1959.