A Special Committee to Study the Unethical and Illegal Solicitation of Legal Business in Florida is gearing up for action, according to a report in The Florida Bar News.

“Over the past few years I’ve noticed a significant increase in the complaints by Florida Bar members and the public in being contacted unethically and illegally,” said Bar President Greg Coleman, who favors the initiative.

The unethical solicitation of personal injury clients by plaintiff attorneys will be one area of investigation. Attorney advertising rules in Florida prohibit email or mailed solicitations within 30 days of an accident, yet The Florida Bar has received complaints of solicitations within 24 to 48 hours following an auto accident.

The mission of the special committee is to “review public and attorney complaints with The Florida Bar and perform a comprehensive analysis of any trending unethical or illegal activities, for submission of a report and recommendations directly to The Florida Bar Board of Governors.”

The committee will consist of 10 to 15 members, including one Board of Governors member, one attorney who works for a state attorney’s office, one who works for a public defender’s office, one non-lawyer member of a Bar grievance committee, and an attorney who represents lawyers under investigation by the Bar’s discipline system.

The first meeting is scheduled for January 2015, with a target completion date of January 31, 2016.

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