WebCredenza 2024 Ethics and social media update

Lawyers use social media technology to collect and share information and communicate with others, not only personally but also when acting as lawyers. Important and probative information about a case can be more easily found on social media than elsewhere. Social media is also easily used to communicate with existing or potential clients, colleagues or opposing lawyers, and the public. These and other uses of social media raise substantial ethical issues for lawyers – competence, confidentiality, preservation of the attorney-client privilege, and honesty. This program will provide you with a practical guide to ethical issues when lawyers use social media for communication purposes in law practice.

• Communicating with parties, opposing attorneys, and witnesses via social media.
• Researching jurors, parties, witnesses and judges via social media.
• Ethical issues with blogging, e-newsletters/law updates to clients, posting video.
• “Friending” or otherwise connecting with judges, witnesses and others on social media.
• Trends in texting, confidentiality, and discoverability.
• Using websites, online advertising and social media for client development.

Opinions and positions stated by presenters of MoBarCLE programs are those of the presenters and not necessarily those of The Missouri Bar. This program is intended as information for lawyers in Missouri, in conjunction with other research they deem necessary, in the exercise of their independent judgment.