Under Rule 7.3, in-person solicitation for pecuniary gain is permitted only if the prospective client has which relationship with the lawyer?

• A. The prospective client has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer.
• B. The prospective client is a current client of the lawyer.
• C. The prospective client has signed a retainer agreement.
• D. The prospective client is a government official.

Answer: (A)

Rule 7.3 restricts in-person solicitation of prospective clients for payment, allowing it only when there is a preexisting relationship that makes the approach appropriate and less coercive. The permitted scenario is when the prospective client has a family, close personal, or prior professional relationship with the lawyer. This prior bond signals trust and reduces the risk of undue pressure, so an in-person approach is considered acceptable.

The other options don’t fit because they don’t establish the exempt relationship Rule 7.3 requires. Being a current client isn’t the same as a prospective relationship that warrants in-person solicitation, signing a retainer doesn’t create the exempt relationship, and being a government official doesn’t by itself justify in-person solicitation under this rule.