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Twitter and social media for lawyers

Twitter is an extremely popular and private social media tool that everyone from brands to politicians and public servants are using to communicate in real time. We’re pretty sure there are some lawyers in Victoria who are considering using Twitter, so we would like to give a shout out to…

Meghan Maddigan, Legal Community Liaison at Courthouse Libraries BC who frequently provides excellent research and insights on the Courthouse Libraries blog, has turned her attention to Twitter, specifically three ways lawyers can use Twitter.

Image courtesy www.firmmagazine.com

Meghan’s advice?

1)    Keep Up to Date

She notes that Twitter is an information aggregator, tailored to publish whatever you find the most interesting, and Twitter’s unique 140-character limit forces users to essentially write newspaper headlines, which are very easy to scan.

Twitter’s scan-ability actually makes it very accessible for first-time users.

2)    Have a Conversation

When talking about social media, including both Twitter and Facebook, there is the assumption that both platforms are for narcissistic time-wasters more concerned with chirping out inane thoughts and observations that no one really much cares about.

In the case of Twitter, Meghan notes, it’s all about conversation:

Twitter can connect you to experts and people in your field in ways like no other networking. Whether you’re at the same conference or you’re interested in the same decision, using a hashtag connects you to people who are having the same conversation.

Twitter is all about listening and adding value – the key activities of professional networking.

3)    Collect Evidence

This final point is where Meghan offers the most unique insight that is pertinent for lawyers. Because Twitter is an extremely popular social networking tool, it can provide insights during litigation:

If you are interested, you can see the tweets of individuals involved in litigation to see what they are posting about.  Take for example the recent case of Beattie v Beattie, 2013 SKQB 127 (CanLII), a family law case wherein a BC woman was claiming the need for extended spousal support from her former husband based on her lifestyle.  

Meghan ends her excellent blog post by noting that her colleague Nate Russell has also provided some Twitter tips for lawyers.

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