Rule 20-109 Referrals.

This rule stops lawyers from using their paralegals to drum up business. A lawyer cannot ask, push, or hint that a paralegal should tell people to hire the lawyer or the lawyer's firm. The lawyer also cannot look the other way if a paralegal does this on their own.

The idea behind this rule is to keep client relationships honest. When someone hires a lawyer, that choice should come from their own judgment, not from a paralegal steering them toward a specific firm. Lawyers are responsible for the people who work for them, so they have to actively prevent this kind of behavior, not just avoid doing it themselves.

For someone hiring a lawyer, this rule offers some protection. It means the paralegal you talk to should not be trying to sell you on using that particular lawyer or firm. If that happens, it breaks the rules the lawyer is supposed to follow.