Law Society issues social media warning to lawyers
updated on 12 January 2012
The Law Society has deemed it necessary to issue lawyers with advice regarding the use of social media. The new 13-page set of guidelines is aimed at educating all lawyers, as well as law firm compliance officers, in the appropriate use of social media - and is the first guidance on the subject to be issued by a regulatory body.
The manual emphasises the dangers inherent in blurring personal and professional boundaries as a lawyer, pointing out that inappropriate use of the technology may easily breach the following principles of a legal professional: the need to maintain client trust and confidentiality; the obligation to act with integrity; and the necessity that a legal practitioner's independence is never compromised. As reported in Legal Week, a social media link with a client - of any kind - may breach ethical principles by acknowledging a relationship in the public domain.
The news follows research revealing that nearly half of partners and employees at the United Kingdom’s top 50 firms have LinkedIn profiles, indicating the wide and increasing integration of social media in personal and professional lives. In light of this and the often-sensitive work involving the legal profession, it is unsurprising that the Law Soc guidelines also recommend that firms implement their own policies regarding their employees' use of social media.
