California Professional Responsibility Practice Exam

In California, ads promising a successful outcome or including warranties are presumed improper in legal advertising because they can create misleading expectations about the results of legal services. When attorneys guarantee specific outcomes or make promises of success, it can mislead potential clients into believing that their legal cases will have guaranteed results, which is rarely the case in legal practice due to the unpredictable nature of law and individual circumstances surrounding each case. This is seen as a breach of professional conduct rules which emphasize honesty and transparency in communications with clients. Proper legal advertising should provide clear information about services without making unrealistic promises that could distort a client's understanding of potential results.

The other options, such as ads with clear explanations of services, ads posted in professional journals, and ads that specify attorney credentials, generally align with the standards for ethical advertising, as they provide informative content without misleading the public or making unsubstantiated claims.