This article is part of our Law Firm Marketing Guide: how clients find lawyers online, what the advertising rules allow, and how to choose the right help. Want to know where your firm's site stands? Get a free 20–30 page website audit within 24 hours.
Every law firm website needs the same core set of parts: clear practice area pages, real attorney bios, an easy and safe way to get in touch, the disclosures your state requires, and a fast, accessible, secure build. Miss one and you lose either trust or leads.
This checklist lists 15 must-haves, grouped by job. Use it to audit your current site or brief a designer. It is part of our Law Firm Marketing Guide, and it links to deeper guides where a single item needs more space.
A quick note: some items touch lawyer advertising rules. Rules vary by state, so confirm details with your state bar or ethics counsel.
Key Takeaways
- A firm site has four jobs: explain what you do, prove who you are, make contact easy, and stay within advertising rules.
- Practice area pages and attorney bios do most of the persuading, so they deserve the most care.
- Many prospective clients reach out by phone and email, and research from Clio shows many firms miss those inquiries.
- Required disclosures differ by state, such as New York's home page label and Texas's home page filing rule.
- Speed, mobile layout, accessibility and security are not extras; they decide whether visitors can use the site at all.
Job 1: Explain what you do
1. A home page that answers "can you help me?"
In the first screen, a visitor should see what kinds of cases you take, where you practice, and how to reach you. Skip slogans that could fit any firm. "Family law in Placer County: divorce, custody and support" beats "Justice. Integrity. Results."
2. One page per practice area
Each main service needs its own page: what it covers, who it is for, how the process works, and common questions. One page that lists 12 practice areas in bullets helps no one. Our guide on practice area pages covers structure in detail.
3. Location and service-area information
Clients search by place. Show your office address, the counties or cities you serve, and courts you regularly appear in, if relevant. Some states make this a rule. Florida's Rule 4-7.12 requires advertisements to include the city, town or county of one or more bona fide office locations.
4. Plain-language guides and FAQs
Answer the questions people ask before they call: how long does this take, what does it cost, what should I bring. Write them as general information, not advice for one person. New York's Rule 7.1(r) allows lawyers to write for publication on legal topics "so long as the lawyer does not undertake to give individual advice."
Job 2: Prove who you are
5. Real attorney bios
Bios are where visitors decide if they trust a lawyer. Include bar admissions, education, years in practice, practice focus and a real photo. We cover this in depth in attorney bios and bar credentials, so we won't repeat it here.
6. Honest proof: results, reviews and awards
Proof works, but it has rules. The ABA's comment to Rule 7.1 says truthful past results may still mislead if they create an unjustified expectation of the same outcome for others. It also says an appropriate disclaimer may prevent that. For state examples, see lawyer reviews and testimonials rules.
7. Careful claims about specialization
Words like "specialist" and "certified" are regulated. ABA Model Rule 7.2(c) says a lawyer may not state or imply certification as a specialist unless an approved or accredited organization certified them, and the communication names that organization. Use "focuses on" or "practice limited to" if you are not certified, and check your state's version.
8. A clear "About the firm" page
Explain how the firm works: who handles cases, how you communicate, how fees are set. The ABA comment to Rule 7.2 notes that lawyers may publish the basis for their fees, including prices for specific services. If you publish fee details, check your state's extra rules first.
Job 3: Make contact easy and safe
9. Click-to-call and visible contact details on every page
Put the phone number in the header and make it tappable on mobile. ABA Rule 7.2(d) requires any advertising communication to include the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm.
10. A short contact form with the right warnings
Ask for contact details, other parties' names for a conflicts check, and the type of matter. Place a clear notice above the form that sending it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Our guide to disclaimers and contact forms explains why ABA Rule 1.18 makes this matter and has sample wording.
11. A plan for who answers
A form is only as good as the response behind it. In Clio's 2024 secret shopper study, reported in its 2024 Legal Trends Report highlights, just 33% of 500 firms responded to emails and only 40% answered phone calls. Decide who answers, how fast, and what happens after hours. See law firm intake and lead response.
Job 4: Stay within the rules
12. State-required labels, disclaimers and records
Some states add website-specific requirements. Examples:
| State | Website-related rule (example) |
|---|---|
| New York | "Attorney Advertising" label on the home page for covered sites; copy of the site kept at launch, after major changes and at least every 90 days (Rule 7.1) |
| Texas | Website information is exempt from filing, except the home page contents unless otherwise exempt (Rule 7.05) |
| Florida | Website information is exempt from the filing requirement, but the site must still follow the advertising rules (Rules 4-7.11 and 4-7.20) |
This table shows examples only. For more detail, read lawyer advertising rules for websites.
13. Confidentiality in blogs and case stories
Do not turn client matters into marketing without consent. ABA Formal Opinion 480 says lawyers who blog may not reveal information relating to a representation, including information in a public record, unless a Model Rule allows it.
The technical base
14. Fast, mobile-first pages
Many people look for a lawyer on a phone, often under stress. Google's Core Web Vitals guidance on web.dev sets "good" targets: Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds, Interaction to Next Paint of 200 milliseconds or less, and Cumulative Layout Shift of 0.1 or less. Big hero videos, heavy sliders and too many plugins are the usual culprits.
15. Accessibility and security
The U.S. Department of Justice's web accessibility guidance says the Department has consistently taken the position that ADA requirements apply to goods and services offered by public accommodations on the web. It points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as helpful technical standards. The W3C published WCAG 2.2 on 5 October 2023 and encourages using the latest version. Add HTTPS, regular updates, backups and spam protection on forms.
A quick self-audit
Score your site out of 15. Give one point for each item you can answer "yes" to:
- Does the home page say what you do and where, in the first screen?
- Does every main practice area have its own page?
- Are office location and service areas visible?
- Do you have plain-language FAQs or guides?
- Does every lawyer have a full bio with bar admissions?
- Do results and reviews carry the disclaimers your state needs?
- Are "specialist" claims backed by certification or worded safely?
- Is there a clear page on how the firm works?
- Is the phone number tappable on every page?
- Does the form warn visitors before they type?
- Does someone own response times, including after hours?
- Have you checked your state's website labels and record-keeping rules?
- Do blog posts avoid client details without consent?
- Do key pages pass Core Web Vitals on mobile?
- Has the site been tested against WCAG 2.2 AA and secured?
Every "no" is a fix to plan. Start with the items that affect contact and compliance.
Next step
If your site misses several items, a rebuild may cost less than patching. Our law firm website redesign checklist explains how to change sites without losing rankings. Get a free 20–30 page website audit within 24 hours.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most important page on a law firm website?
For most firms it is the practice area page that matches the visitor's problem, followed by attorney bios. The home page routes people, but the practice page and bio do most of the convincing. Give them the most time and detail.
Do law firm websites have to follow advertising rules?
Generally, yes. Florida's rules, for example, say websites are treated the same as other advertising media. Other states treat websites in their own ways, so check your state bar's rules for labels, disclaimers and filing.
Does a law firm website need to be ADA accessible?
The Department of Justice's guidance says it has consistently taken the position that ADA requirements apply to public accommodations' services on the web, and it points to WCAG as a helpful standard. A law office open to the public should treat accessibility as a requirement. Building to WCAG 2.2 AA is a sound target.
Can we post our case results?
Often yes, with care. The ABA comment to Rule 7.1 warns that results can mislead if they suggest others will get the same outcome. Many states require disclaimers, and some, like New York, set exact wording. Get client consent and check your state's rules first.
How fast should a law firm website load?
Google's Core Web Vitals call Largest Contentful Paint within 2.5 seconds "good." Test key pages on a phone connection, not just office Wi-Fi. Slow pages usually come from large images, video backgrounds and too many plugins.
