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 |Add To My Favorites |Track Bill | Version: 10/11/25 - Chaptered
 09/17/25 - Enrolled
 09/02/25 - Amended Assembly
 07/03/25 - Amended Assembly
 05/29/25 - Amended Senate
 04/21/25 - Amended Senate
 03/26/25 - Amended Senate
 12/03/24 - Introduced

 SB-37 Attorneys: unlawful solicitations and advertisements.(2025-2026)

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 Date Published: 10/13/2025 02:00 PM

SB37:v92#DOCUMENTBill Start

 Senate Bill

 No. 37

 CHAPTER 645

An act to amend Sections 6153, 6155, 6157, 6157.2, 6158.4, 6158.5, and 6158.7 of, and to add Section 6156.5 to, the Business and Professions Code, relating to attorneys.

 [
 Approved by

 Governor
 October 11, 2025.

 Filed with

 Secretary of State
 October 11, 2025.
 ]

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST

SB 37, Umberg.
 Attorneys: unlawful solicitations and advertisements.

(1) Existing law makes it unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, partnership, or association to act as a runner or capper for any attorneys or to solicit any business for any attorneys in and about certain locations, including prisons, jails, and county hospitals, or in any public place or upon private property, as specified. Existing law also makes it unlawful for a person to solicit another person to commit or join in the commission of a violation of that provision. Existing law defines “runner or capper” for these provisions to mean a person, firm, association, or corporation acting for consideration in any manner or in any capacity as an agent for an attorney or law firm in the solicitation or procurement of business for the attorney or law firm, as provided. Existing law prescribes a schedule of punishments for violating these provisions, including
 imprisonment and fines, as specified.

Existing law also prohibits an individual, partnership, corporation, association, or any other nongovernmental entity from operating for the direct or indirect purpose of referring potential clients to attorneys, and prohibits an attorney from accepting a referral of those potential clients, unless certain requirements are met. Existing law additionally prohibits a referral service from being owned or operated by those lawyers to whom more than 20% of referrals are made. Existing law makes an individual, partnership, association, corporation, or other entity that engages, has engaged, or proposes to engage in violations of these provisions liable for a civil penalty, as provided.

This bill would additionally authorize any person to bring a civil action for a violation of these provisions for statutory damages, as provided, attorney’s fees, injunctive relief, and any other relief the
 court deems proper. The bill would require the court, in assessing the amount of statutory damages, to consider all relevant circumstances presented by the case, including the nature and seriousness of the misconduct and the defendant’s assets, liabilities, and net worth.

(2) Existing law imposes various requirements on the ownership of a lawyer referral service. Existing law provides that certain provisions relating to these lawyer referral services requirements shall not be construed to prohibit attorneys from jointly advertising their services. Existing law states that permissible joint advertising, among other things, identifies by name the advertising attorneys or law firms whom the consumer of legal services may select and initiate contact with.

This bill would also provide that permissible joint advertising
 requires that each participating attorney or law firm execute a joint advertising agreement with the entity managing the joint advertising agreement with the entity managing the joint advertising services, under which the attorney or law firm expressly takes liability for the content of the advertising.

(3) Existing law prohibits an advertisement, as defined, made by an attorney or law firm from making various prohibited statements and requires the advertisement to include certain disclosures, as specified. Existing law defines “advertise” and “advertisement” for these provisions to mean any communication, as specified, that solicits employment
 of legal services provided by an attorney, agent of an attorney, or law firm, and is directed to the general public and is paid for by, or on the behalf of, an attorney.

This bill would revise those definitions and would define “advertisement” for