The Benefits

The Risks

The Rules

• Whether a lawyer may connect with a client or former client, represented party, unrepresented person, jurors or judges on a social networking website (yes; no; only honestly; no, but you can look at the juror's public internet presence; and sometimes).
• Whether lawyers can ask for or accept client reviews or endorsements, and whether they can comment on or respond to them? (Yes, and you have a duty to monitor those reviews for accuracy and compliance with the rules, including advertising and client confidentiality rules—oh, and no celebrity endorsements).

Balancing Risk and Reward

• Know your risk tolerance and how much time and energy you are willing to dedicate to social media—posting an article you wrote on LinkedIn may feel more comfortable to you than tweeting.
• Know the rules—all of the rules—or consult with someone who does.
• Keep your personal and your professional social media accounts separate
• Know, train and monitor the person who is handling your social media if it's not you.
• Plan ahead and plan strategically—know your platform, your audiences and your goals, and align your content with those.
• Monitor your social media accounts actively and respond thoughtfully to comments (conversations can go sideways quickly, and your response—or lack thereof—can make matters far worse than the original issue).
• Take it seriously—but not too seriously, because social media engagement can be a fun and rewarding endeavor.