Legal profession and marketing in Malaysia: Direction towards hybrid profession

Abstract

Legal profession and marketing in Malaysia are inter-related although both are from different disciplines. Marketing including promotion and advertising, placing, pricing, product and etc while legal profession is concerns about legal matter which includes punishment, prevention, deterrent and etc. Legal Profession Act 1976 (‘LPA’) in Malaysia is the main statute which governs the legal profession in Malaysia. In addition thereto, we have certain provisions in the some statutes which prohibits legal firm in doing the marketing especially in promoting their services to public. Lawyers in Malaysia are restricted to solicit the clients, promoting their legal service and expanding their business in doing their marketing strategic. There are few justifications on our legislature to impose these limitations in legal profession. Thus, this paper will study the restrictions and issues encountered by legal practitioners, i.e lawyer in promoting their legal services. This paper also studies the accommodation between marketing area to the present regulations and to find the balance between marketing in legal profession. To conclude, the study will contribute to some suggestions on potential methods for legal practitioners, particularly lawyer in their marketing strategy to promote their services in order to achieve the achievement of their business. Various methods have been applied by the writer to achieve the findings on the possible method to be use by the legal practitioner, namely study of documentary and public record, historical archives. This is to ensure the successful of the legal business in Malaysia and not restricted by the law and regulations.