Lawyers may respond to online criticism from people who are not and have not been clients but in doing so they must take care not to reveal protected information about current or former clients.

The Bar’s Professional Ethics Committee is giving that advice in Proposed Advisory Opinion 21-1, which is being published for Bar member comment. The committee voted 33-0 at its June 10 meeting at the Bar Annual Convention to approve and publish the opinion.

The committee also heard that two other proposed opinions — covering accepting payments via online payment apps and representing alleged incapacitated persons in emergency guardianship hearings — and a revised ethics opinion have become final. The committee also received an update on a rule amendment it proposed, which also addresses lawyers responding to criticism and which is pending before the Board of Governors.