The Dangers of Online Networking
Monday, April 13 2009
Attorneys are being urged to go online to find clients more than ever before.
But Michael P. Downey, a partner at Hinshaw & Culbertson in St. Louis who focuses his practice on ethics (and is an author of the blog The Ethical Quandary), urges caution when participating in online social networking sites.
"Particularly in the current economic climate, lawyers are being pressured to develop business in new and creative ways," Downey says. "But there are a whole series of potential problems."
Here are some tips:
* Be careful not to create an attorney-client relationship
Sites such as LinkedIn allow users to post and answer questions, which can be a good marketing opportunity for a lawyer looking to showcase his or her knowledge and expertise, Downey notes.
"But be very cognizant of inadvertently creating an attorney-client relationship by answering a question online," he cautions.
Another concern: answering an online question might constitute the practice of law in a jurisdiction where you aren't licensed, because the questioner could be in another state.