Ethical Social Media Use for the Modern Attorney

Social media is one of the most powerful and cost-effective tools that modern lawyers can utilize to market themselves. However, determining which platforms to use, properly setting up accounts, and deciding what to post and how often can be a daunting task. This is especially true when considering the many ethical rules that attorneys must follow when using social media, as violating the Rules of Professional Conduct can result in disciplinary actions that are costly to defend, cause reputational damage, and can even put an attorney’s license to practice in jeopardy.

Presented by LEAP Legal Software and featuring law firm marketing experts Emily Kelchen and Amanda Sexton, this Continuing Legal Education course will cover best practices for attorneys using social media. In the first section, we will review a comprehensive set of social media guidelines that will assist lawyers with staying on the right side of the ethics rules when availing themselves of modern social media platforms. In the second section, we will consider ethical social media best practices from a law firm marketing standpoint, helping lawyers leverage modern social media technologies to drive business for their law firms while staying compliant with the Rules of Professional Conduct.

Attendees will walk away from this course with a basic understanding of:

• The ethical issues lawyers need to be aware of when posting on social media platforms;
• Why consistent branding is important;
• How to identify your target audience;
• The pros and cons of various social media platforms, and what to post where;
• How to leverage data to make better informed marketing decisions.

This program will benefit attorneys in private practice, especially those lawyers tasked with actively managing their law firms’ marketing and social media efforts. There is no cost to attend this event. 

This program is eligible for CLE credits in states that allow On-Demand CLE. Please consult your state's rules. In states that do allow On-Demand CLE, this program is eligible for 1.5 hours of Ethics CLE credit in 60-minute states, and 1.8 hours of Ethics credit in 50-minute states. Credit hours are estimated and are subject to each state's approval and credit rounding rules.

Please note that the LEAP/CE21 Course Completion Certificate is not the official state-issued CLE Certificate. If you have met the participation requirements for this course, you will receive a personalized CLE affidavit from mcle-leap@americanbar.org. Once you complete the affidavit, you will be able to download your state certificate(s) of attendance, and they will also be e-mailed to you. Please check your spam folders or e-mail filter systems.