The world of legal marketing has changed with the rise of social media sites such as Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook. Law firms are seeking their companies attention with tweets, videos, blog posts, pictures, and online content. Social media is fast and delivers news at record pace. Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier provides you with a practical, goal-centric approach to using social media in your law practice that will enable you to identify social media platforms and tools that fit your practice and implement them easily, efficiently, and ethically.
Beginning with a brief historic overview of social media, this guide describes the current trends and statistics on current use, as well as explains why social media is important for lawyers, and busts some of the myths that deter lawyers from engaging in social media. Included are:
descriptions and screen shots of various social media platforms and step-by-by advice on setting up a profile
advice on how to use social media to accomplish specific goals such as establishing expertise, building relationships with colleagues and engaging in damage control
an outline of the do's and don'ts of social media, including the best practices and appropriate "net-iquette," legal ethics and FTC disclosure requirements
discussion of legal issues such as copyright, defamation, damage control, and in-house blogging policies
predictions of where social media is headed in the future
Social media gives lawyers the tools to provide potential clients with the kind of in-depth information that they've come to expect online prior to making any kind of decision requiring significant commitment of resources. Bottom line: If you're not using social media, you can't deliver the kind of information that today's clients demand before hiring a lawyer.
is the creator of MyShingle.com, the first and longest running blog and online resource on solo and small firm practice and author of Solo by Choice: How to Be the Lawyer You Always Wanted to Be, the first comprehensive guide to solo practice published in the last five years. Carolyn is a proud solo; she started her firm in 1993 after a layoff left her with no other options. Fifteen years later, she continues to practice at the Law Offices of Carolyn Elefant, specializing in energy law, emerging renewables, appeals and select 1983 civil rights matters. Carolyn is also part of the talented faculty at Solo Practice University teaching a very important and timely course for today's solo practitioner "Collaboration."
Nicole Black is of counsel to Fiandach and Fiandach, in Rochester, New York and is an author, blogger and speaker. She is also the founder of lawtechTalk.com, a company which educates lawyers regarding technology issues and provides legal technology consulting services.
She co-authors Criminal Law in New York, a West-Thomson treatise and is currently working on a book about cloud computing for lawyers that will be published by the American Bar association in late 2010. She also writes a weekly column for the Daily Record focusing on a variety of topics, including constitutional and criminal law issues and law and technology issues ranging from the use of social media for marketing and networking to using emerging technologies in the law office.
Nicole has authored numerous articles and spoken at many conferences regarding the intersection of law, technology and social media. She publishes four legal blogs, including "Practicing Law in the 21st Century" (http://21stcenturylaw.wordpress.com/) and is a contributing blogger at Lawyerist.com.
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