Zauderer v. Office of Disciplinary Counsel

Attorney Zauderer (defendant/petitioner) ran newspaper ads offering to represent women injured by the Dalkon Shield IUD on a contingent-fee basis. The ads included an illustration of the device and offered 'free information.' Ohio's Office of Disciplinary Counsel (plaintiff) charged him with violating rules against using illustrations in legal ads, giving legal advice in ads, and omitting a disclaimer that clients might owe litigation costs even under a contingent fee. Ohio's disciplinary board found no actual public harm but still reprimanded him. Zauderer sought Supreme Court review.

Whether rules prohibiting the use of truthful, non-deceptive text and illustrations in printed attorney advertising violate the First Amendment's protection of commercial speech.