Social media not just for teenagers anymore

It used to be that when lawyers turned their minds to the use of social media (Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) it was at the request of a client looking for help with a corporate policy. Times have changed. Now lawyers themselves are turning to social media due to its extraordinary power as a marketing tool.

Not convinced?

This week, in an effort to teach lawyers how to effectively utilize this “emerging new media” the Canadian Bar Association hosted a webinar called “Social Media for Lawyers”.

Consider the following:

-          the emergence of law-targeted sites such as Legal OnRamp, JDSupra, MH Connected, and others;

-          the decision of Ontario’s Chief Justice to allow live blogging and “twittering” from the courtroom of the Ottawa mayor’s bribery trial;

-          court decisions which take note of, or actually rely on, evidence from Facebook;

-          numerous law schools (Harvard, U of T) and Canadian law firms (the “seven sisters” are represented) are engaged in the use of social media, including Twitter and Facebook;

-          the prevalence of large Canadian corporations on various social media sites – business development anyone?

Still not convinced?  During the webinar, the following statistics were provided:

Facebook: the #5 top global website boasts 132 million unique visitors per month and 300 million active users

Twitter: the fastest growing social network

LinkedIn: 43 million strongly business-oriented users

With targeted, consistent, appropriate use (lawyers must ensure they are compliant with their Rules of Professional Conduct), social media is an invaluable marketing tool – particularly for those practicing in a niche legal market (like Wortzman Nickle!).