One of the easiest ways to find an attorney in
today’s times is via social media. The legal business just like any
other business today is learning the ropes of what it means to be
part of the social media network and benefit from it. Whether it’s
a Kansas City attorney or a law firm in New York, they’ve been
forced to explore social media and what it can do for their business.
There is another side to this story though. While it
has its advantages social media is a very open platform. Things go
viral and quite honestly, once something has been uploaded on the web
via a social media channel, there is little control over where it
might land eventually or who might see it.
For most other professions this does not pose as a
big risk. But that is not the case with the legal industry. Because
of the sensitive nature of their field and the kind of work they do,
lawyers have to be careful about what they post on the web,
especially when they use social media as a personal space.
So the question is- Are attorneys afraid of using
social media? Yes, possibly so. There are a number of reasons why an
attorney might be afraid that social media can land them into
trouble. The legal profession has always been categorized as a
serious profession. When anyone is out in the market to find an
attorney, they have a certain image in mind.
In such a case, anything that a lawyer has written
on their social platforms can be used as a medium to judge them
professionally. Sometimes an innocent remark or update written just
for fun can cast a shadow on the reputation of the attorney and cost
them a case.
Another factor to consider is the confidentiality
status quo that lawyers have to maintain at all times. Under this, in
no circumstance can a lawyer reveal any information knowingly or
unknowingly about a client. When it comes to social media, an
attorney can never be sure when something they might have posted can
be linked to breach of confidentiality.
This is especially true in the case of blogging.
Presumably, the posts might be related to cases or experiences on
cases and this will warrant divulging some facts. There is also
the possibility that a lawyer might end up discussing legal issues on
a social media platform with someone who is against a current client
of theirs. This can be seen as a conflict of interest.
Another risk for an attorney to openly talk about
law on social media is the fact that it can unintentionally lead to
unauthorized practice. For e.g.: a Kansas City attorney might end up
giving advice to someone in Florida but he is not licensed to
practice in Florida, this might be considered a violation.
While the risk of using social media are many for attorneys, it is very hard to ignore the fact that social media is here to stay. The key eventually is in using the platform responsibly and with extreme caution and awareness.
