It seems legal regulators take a particularly dim view of online discretions, compared with other regulators, says Susan Humble
Social media has changed the way we communicate. It’s a cheap and quick way to engage with clients and potential clients.
The gratification of ‘likes’ and ‘retweets’ can also be addictive. Horace famously said: “Lawyers are men who hire out their words and their anger”.
How times have changed. Women can now be lawyers; and our words – in 280 characters, can be instantly distributed globally. It’s quite a responsibility, as tweets are powerful marketing tools (as Donald Trump has shown).
My research, dating back to 2010, on social media misconduct by lawyers revealed nothing until 2016. A solicitor who posted “unprofessional and offensive” tweets conc...