If you’ve driven down I-15 in Las Vegas lately, you’ve seen them: giant faces of lawyers staring back at you from billboards, bus benches, and even the backs of taxi cabs.
The same story is playing out in Philadelphia, where a recent report found more than 60 personal injury lawyer billboards on a single stretch of highway.
What’s happening in Philly is the same thing we’re seeing here in Nevada – trial lawyers turning the streets into their personal advertising playground.
From Law to Big Business
Once upon a time, being a lawyer was considered a “profession.” The American Bar Association even banned attorney advertising until the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the rule in 1977.
Today, law isn’t just about arguing cases in court – it’s about branding, marketing, and money.
In Pennsylvania alone, personal injury and product liability firms spent $84 million on advertising in 2023, according to Philadelphia Magazine. Billboards are up 62 percent since 2019.
Here in Nevada, the signs are just as hard to miss. From Reno to the Las Vegas Strip, personal injury ads promise “big cash settlements” or “justice for your accident.”
But critics ask: is this really about justice, or just about cashing in?
How It Hits Home in Nevada
Nevadans already pay the price. When juries are persuaded to hand down “nuclear verdicts” worth tens of millions, insurance companies pass those costs along.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, auto insurance premiums nationwide have risen more than 50 percent over the past five years.
Nevada drivers – already dealing with high rates due to traffic and uninsured motorists – see those hikes hit their wallets even harder.
Medical malpractice tells the same story. When lawsuits spike, doctors face skyrocketing insurance premiums.
Back in the early 2000s, Pennsylvania lost obstetricians because they couldn’t afford malpractice insurance. Imagine if that happened in Nevada, where rural communities already struggle to attract enough doctors.
Lawsuit abuse doesn’t just cost corporations – it can cost Nevadans access to health care.
The Marketing Machine
Big law firms aren’t just lawyers anymore. They’re running like corporations, with marketing teams, sponsorship deals, and TikTok campaigns.
Some, like the flashy TopDog Law, aren’t even really law firms in the traditional sense – they’re “case acquisition platforms,” farming out cases to other attorneys for a cut of the fee.
That model raises ethical questions about whether clients even know who their lawyer really is.
In Nevada, we’ve seen similar trends. Firms run endless TV and radio ads, some promising quick money and others branding themselves like sports teams.
The goal isn’t just to find people with legitimate claims – it’s to convince more people to sue in the first place.
Who Really Pays?
Of course, supporters of these firms argue lawsuits keep corporations honest. Sam Pond, a big name in Philly law, claimed “trial lawyers are the only regulators in a free enterprise system.”
But conservatives know better. America already has regulators. We don’t need billboard lawyers deciding how much companies – or taxpayers – should fork over in damages.
Curt Schroder of the Pennsylvania Coalition for Civil Justice Reform points out that lawsuit abuse leads to higher costs across the board. “These nuclear verdicts run well in excess of any reasonable inflationary adjustment,” he said.
The result is higher insurance premiums, more expensive products, and sometimes fewer doctors.
Nevadans have seen this movie before: higher costs, fewer choices, and trial lawyers walking away with up to 40 percent of the payout.
A Conservative Answer
Nevada’s legislature has debated tort reform before, but the billboard war shows how urgent it’s becoming.
More lawsuits mean higher costs for families and businesses. More advertising means more pressure on juries to think “justice” equals jackpot verdicts. And more consolidation in the legal industry means billion-dollar firms from out of state moving in on Nevada’s courts.
Conservatives should push for stronger transparency rules so Nevadans know who’s really representing them.
We should consider caps on outrageous jury awards that punish businesses far beyond the actual harm done.
And we should demand ethics boards take a hard look at lawyers who spend more time on marketing than on practicing law.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
