Advising Clients about Facebook and Twitter

The Tennessee Bar Journal has an insightful article this month about new challenges for lawyers arising out of technology, and the potential collateral damage to their clients’ cases as result of social media like Facebook and Twitter.  Indeed, litigation has always meant that your clients were going to be under scrutiny from their adversaries; however, the ease and widespread use of Facebook and Twitter has vastly changed the rules of the game.

These days, social media is a virtually free and easy database for investigators and adversaries seeking information about clients.  And the informality and ease with which people interact and share information on Facebook and Twitter can often provide fodder for someone looking for ammunition — possibly even to mislead/distort.

Technology is a challenge, and lawyers must be technically savvy enough to be familiar with how social media works so that they discuss these issue intelligently with their clients in order to provide sound advice.