Starting work at a law firm today may require more than just knowledge gained through cramming for the bar.
In addition to studying terms such as forfeiture and breach of contract, lawyers must also know the meaning of “tweet,” “blog” and “friending.”
Today’s lawyers more and more use social networking tools to market themselves and their businesses and to network with colleagues and potential clients. While it’s not uncommon to hear some lawyers disparage use of the tools, many in the field embrace them and see them as ways to advertise (for free) and to make connections.
Chad Burton, founder of Burton Law LLC – a new Dayton-area firm with no set physical offices that interacts mostly on the Web — not surprisingly uses social networking sites. In fact, his written firm policy encourages use of sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and all five of the firm’s lawyers use them in one form or another. Using apps on his Apple Inc. iPhone or iPad, Burton has constant access to his social networks.