Social Media and the Law

As a modern law student, I’m overly connected to the world. When the latest appellate decisions come down, they’re emailed to me or I’m notified by an RSS feed. I get daily e-mails from my law school about everything from new policies and rules, to the car in the parking garage with their lights on. Facebook sends a notification when my old friends from college get engaged. I even get a text or two when the latest law school drama breaks out because so-an- so is now dating partner X at firm Y.

Although the previous examples seem petty and personal, the same techniques can be an effective marketing tool and resource when attempting to connect with other attorneys and clients. One interesting development is Twitter, a social networking site that allows users to send out 140 character “Tweets” which are essentially micro-blogs about the mundane, the day-to-day, or important breaking news. A leading young legal Twitterer is Rex Gradeless, otherwise known as Rex7 on Twitter. Rex has created a blog called the Social Media Law Student that highlights advances in social media and the importance of connections within the young, emerging lawyers and students.

in an article about social media, Rex argues that one of the greatest advantages of social media is the aility to dispel the dreaded “ruthless shark” image of attorneys. Rex says,

” . . . with social media, people get a chance to see a different side of the legal profession.  People might come to learn that the legal profession is mostly comprised of good people.  Law students, lawyers, and legal professionals have the opportunity to interact and learn from each other.  Others can listen in and contribute to the conversation.”

Overall, I believe that social media will become an important area to present views about the legal system, and it will also be a platform to present your own unique style of lawyering. As Martha Stewart often says, “it’s a good thing.”