Lawyers and law firms should follow these essential tips for using social media responsibly.
Lawyers’ personal and professional identities intersect on social media. They are not mutually exclusive domains. Lawyers’ personal lives and activities will undoubtedly contribute to their reputation and be attributed to their firm. What lawyers say and do on social media is also governed by advertising ethics rules. As a result, they should follow this general rule: If there is anyone, anywhere, who should not see certain information, lawyers should not put it on the Internet.
Use judgment. Outside the workplace, privacy rights and free speech may protect certain activity conducted on a personal social network with a personal email address. However, information published on social media sites by an individual lawyer will ultimately be attributed to the firm and therefore must comply with lawyer rules of professional conduct.
Some tips for posting responsibly:
Setting the right social media strategy, tone, and voice is critical for generating new clients on social media. Learn more about how you can train your attorneys on responsible social media use.
CEO & Founder of Social Media Law & Order
Ethan teaches social media CLE programs to lawyers, law firms, and legal associations. He can design a one hour, half day, or full day workshop at your office, firm retreat, or conference that will be approved for both ethics and general CLE credit. Learn more about how Ethan can be your social media law keynote speaker at your next conference on topics related to social media and the law.