Legal web design is bought like a branding exercise and judged like a compliance artefact. A law firm's website is a communication about a lawyer's services, which puts it inside the state's rules of professional conduct; it is also a public accommodation's web presence, which brings accessibility expectations; and it is the destination behind every search, referral and advert the firm pays for. Firms that shop on portfolio alone usually find the gaps after launch, in the disclaimer, the intake form or the accessibility audit. This page covers the rules the design has to satisfy, the structure that supports visibility, and how to compare proposals on something more solid than screenshots.
The site is attorney advertising, and the rules say so
State professional conduct rules treat a firm's website as a communication concerning a lawyer's services. Rules modelled on Model Rule 7.2, such as North Carolina's, require communications to include the name and contact information of at least one lawyer or law firm responsible for the content, which is a design requirement as much as a legal one because it has to appear where a reader will find it. The same rules permit paying the reasonable costs of advertising but prohibit giving anything of value for recommending the lawyer's services, and they define a recommendation as endorsing or vouching for a lawyer's credentials, abilities, competence, character or other professional qualities. Specialist claims are restricted: a lawyer generally cannot claim specialisation without certification from a named certifying organisation. Practice-area pages, badges and testimonial modules all touch these rules. Requirements vary by state and your own bar's version controls; this is general information, not legal advice.
Accessibility belongs in the brief, not the retrofit
The Department of Justice states that the ADA's requirements apply to all the goods, services, privileges or activities offered by public accommodations, including those offered on the web, and that they apply to all services, programs and activities of state and local governments. It points to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and to the Section 508 standards, which the federal government uses for its own websites, as helpful guidance, while noting organisations have flexibility in how they comply. For a law firm the testable items are consistent: keyboard operability through the intake form, labels rather than placeholder text, colour contrast that survives a conservative brand palette, captions on attorney video, alternative text that is useful rather than decorative, and accessible PDFs where the firm publishes documents. Ask an agency how it tests and with what tools, and put the standard in the contract rather than in the aspiration.
The structure that carries visibility and intake
A law firm site earns visibility through practice-area depth and loses it through duplication. Google's starter guide notes that grouping similar topics into directories helps Google understand how often content changes, and that a good title is unique to the page, clear, concise and accurately describes its contents; it also states that creating content people find compelling and useful will likely influence a site's presence in results more than any other suggestion in the guide. On performance, Google says its core ranking systems look to reward content that provides a good page experience and that Core Web Vitals are used by its ranking systems, while stating plainly that good scores do not guarantee that pages will rank at the top of results. The checks it names are whether content displays well on mobile, whether pages avoid intrusive interstitials, and whether the connection is secure. Intake deserves the same rigour: one clear path per page, a short form, and a chat widget that does not obscure the content it interrupts.
Comparing quotes without comparing screenshots
Ask every candidate the same six questions and the price differences usually explain themselves. Who writes the practice-area content, and does a lawyer review it? Who owns the domain, the code and the content if the firm leaves, and what does migration cost? What is the recurring cost after launch for hosting, maintenance and content? How is the site tested for accessibility, and against which standard? How does the intake form transmit and store what a prospective client types, and who receives it? And what performance targets will the finished build be measured against? An agency that answers all six in writing is quoting the same job as the next agency; one that answers with a portfolio is quoting a different job entirely.
Questions people ask about legal web design
Does our website count as attorney advertising?
Generally yes. State rules treat websites as communications about a lawyer's services, and rules modelled on Rule 7.2 require the name and contact information of at least one responsible lawyer or firm. The details vary by state, so check your own bar's rules; this is not legal advice.
Can we publish client testimonials on the site?
Many states permit them with conditions, and some require specific disclaimers about outcomes. Check your bar's version of the advertising rules before publishing, and remember the federal floor on reviews applies too, including the ban on undisclosed insider reviews.
Does a law firm website have to be accessible?
The Department of Justice says the ADA's requirements apply to the goods and services offered by public accommodations, including those offered on the web, and points to WCAG and Section 508 as helpful guidance. Specify the standard in the brief and test the intake flow with a keyboard.
Will a redesign improve our rankings?
It can help by fixing structure, speed and content depth, but Google is explicit that good Core Web Vitals do not guarantee top rankings and that no one can guarantee a #1 ranking. Treat a redesign as removing obstacles rather than as buying position.