Cogent Legal's Morgan C. Smith gave this Keynote presentation on Nov. 3, 2012, to students and recent graduates at Pacific McGeorge School of Law. This slideshow demonstrates ways that attorneys can use LinkedIn and other social media to power their job search and grow their practice. It also addresses important ethical concerns that all attorneys must consider when using social media. Please be sure to read the "notes" section under the slides for captions that explain the slide content.
15. Personal Branding 101
A full 70% of surveyed HR
workers in the U.S. admitted to
rejecting a job applicant because
of his or her Internet behavior
- 2010 Microsoft Privacy Study
16. Personal Branding 101
A full 70% of surveyed HR
workers in the U.S. admitted to
rejecting a job applicant because
of his or her Internet behavior
- 2010 Microsoft Privacy Study
33. BPC §6157
Legal Advertising
“(c) ‘Advertise’ or ‘advertisement’
means any communication. . . directed
generally to members of the public. . .
that solicits employment of legal
services provided by a member. . .”
48. LinkedIn
Recommendations for John Q. Attorney
Owner
Law Offices of John Q. Attorney
49. LinkedIn
Recommendations for John Q. Attorney
Owner
Law Offices of John Q. Attorney
I hired John Q. Attorney for handling my employment discrimination
case, and he was always available to talk, listened to all my concerns,
and obtained a $2.3 million settlement for my case. I recommend him
strongly for anyone.
50.
51. RPC §1-400
Legal Advertising
(2) A "communication" which
contains testimonials about or
endorsements of a member unless
such communication also contains an
express disclaimer such as "this
testimonial or endorsement does not
constitute a guarantee, warranty, or
prediction regarding the outcome of
your legal matter."
52. Recommendations for John Q. Attorney
Owner
Law Offices of John Q. Attorney
LinkedIn
I hired John Q. Attorney for handling my employment discrimination
case, and he was always available to talk, listened to all my concerns,
and obtained a $2.3 million settlement for my case. I recommend him
strongly for anyone.
Assume John wrote an identical recommendation for
Ruth by agreement of both attorneys.
53. Recommendations for John Q. Attorney
Owner
Law Offices of John Q. Attorney
LinkedIn
I hired John Q. Attorney for handling my employment discrimination
case, and he was always available to talk, listened to all my concerns,
and obtained a $2.3 million settlement for my case. I recommend him
strongly for anyone.
I have known John for 20 years, while we were partners together at Big
Law Firm. John is a terrific attorney and anyone would be lucky to have
him as their counsel.
Assume John wrote an identical recommendation for
Ruth by agreement of both attorneys.
66. WARNING
The advertisement must adequately disclose the “factual and legal
circumstances that justify the result portrayed in the message,
including the basis for liability and the nature of injury or damage
sustained, or the advertisement must state that the result portrayed
in the advertisement was dependent on the facts of that case, and
that the results will differ if based on different facts.”
I practiced complex litigation in San Francisco for about 17 years, and we would generally overwhelm the other side’s visuals and exhibits, and the juries responded appreciatively because they could understand the case. \n
I then made the decision to travel around the world with my family and with my children.\nI made the decision not to return to litigation directly to start something new. \n
I decided to found Cogent Legal to focus on the creative aspect of litigation and visualization to work with other attorneys and help them with that process. I’ve now got a team of designers and we’re going strong. We specialize in many various types of litigation graphics from construction litigation, 3D modeling graphs, charts and interactive pieces\n
The primary social media marketing source I use is my blog that I promote through Linkedin, Twitter, JD Supra and other sources. \n
While the primary source of referrals to the blog are from Google, the LinkedIn referrals are simply more valuable and much more likely to lead to potential business since they primarily come directly from attorneys. \n
Just as Apple guards its brand identity like crazy, you need to have the same devotion to yours. You are the only you that you’ve got so think about it in those terms. \n
Just as Apple guards its brand identity like crazy, you need to have the same devotion to yours. You are the only you that you’ve got so think about it in those terms. \n
Just as Apple guards its brand identity like crazy, you need to have the same devotion to yours. You are the only you that you’ve got so think about it in those terms. \n
Just as Apple guards its brand identity like crazy, you need to have the same devotion to yours. You are the only you that you’ve got so think about it in those terms. \n
We all, of course, know the downside risks of social media when applying for a job. \n
I doubt any of you would be thoughtless enough to allow pictures you would not want your grandparents to see to be posted of you in social media where employers will look. \n
I doubt any of you would be thoughtless enough to allow pictures you would not want your grandparents to see to be posted of you in social media where employers will look. \n
I doubt any of you would be thoughtless enough to allow pictures you would not want your grandparents to see to be posted of you in social media where employers will look. \n
I doubt any of you would be thoughtless enough to allow pictures you would not want your grandparents to see to be posted of you in social media where employers will look. \n
I doubt any of you would be thoughtless enough to allow pictures you would not want your grandparents to see to be posted of you in social media where employers will look. \n
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In terms of Social Media for job search, what should you do? \n
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Article today said they are growing at 2 new users per second, which equals 172,000 per day worldwide. Job searches do not have to be local, and providing a way to plug into an international job market is a key benefit. \n
But the best way to use LinkedIn is to move relationships from online to in-person. Fostering\nconnections in person is still the best way to get a job.\n
Utilizing LinkedIn allows you to start becoming one of the thought leaders in your area of legal specialty. You can become part of the conversation and get yourself on the radar screen with others. \n
The web is an extremely hungry beast for constant new content, and developing and distributing your own content increases the likelihood of getting known in community of professionals you are targeting. Make good content, and distribute through LinkedIn and Twitter. \n
Not only does it help with you becoming connected to like-minded professionals, you learn from what they are posting and commenting on as well, and that helps you become an expert in that field. \n
The important thing to understand is that unless you claim your “personal brand” online, it will exist anyways, but not necessarily in a form you want. Take the time to capture any place your name shows up and fill it out, such as your LinkedIn profile, your AVVO profile or anywhere else you may already show up on line. \n
No substitute of doing this well. While a written resume may be the first document a prospective employer may get from you, the second they will likely check is your LinkedIn profile. Make sure it is accurate, 100% complete and persuasive. \n
Do remember that as an attorney everything you put online is potentially subject to the Rules of Professional Responsibility. As to your Linkedin profile, it is clearly holding yourself out as available for legal employment under the rules. \n
Do remember that as an attorney everything you put online is potentially subject to the Rules of Professional Responsibility. As to your Linkedin profile, it is clearly holding yourself out as available for legal employment under the rules. \n
Do remember that as an attorney everything you put online is potentially subject to the Rules of Professional Responsibility. As to your Linkedin profile, it is clearly holding yourself out as available for legal employment under the rules. \n
Therefore, you cannot use your LinkedIn account to directly solicit new business (i.e. sending direct messages to potential clients offering your services), and you cannot be misleading. \n
Therefore, you cannot use your LinkedIn account to directly solicit new business (i.e. sending direct messages to potential clients offering your services), and you cannot be misleading. \n
Therefore, you cannot use your LinkedIn account to directly solicit new business (i.e. sending direct messages to potential clients offering your services), and you cannot be misleading. \n
Claim your own URL. That way your URL is nice and tidy rather than having long string of numbers.\n
Do proofread everything you post, and if you are not a good proofreader, get some who is to do it for you. Employers have 10s if not 100s of applicants for a job, and any little error may be enough to put into the “No” pile. \n
If you are going to an event to meet people, it is a good practice to immediately follow up with a LinkedIn request where appropriate. \n
If you do make such a request, I strongly recommend not doing a default request, but making it personal and explaining when you met and why you want to connect.\n
People do not like random attempts at connecting without any prior relationship, so focus on those connections that you really do have some relationship with. \n
Groups are a fantastic way meet others, and to share your ideas. Become known in your “Groups” by submitting or answering questions, helping others by posting job links or industry articles, or by joining discussions.\n
Law School alumni pages are another great way to keep in touch, find out about job opportunities and make connections. \n
Post items of interest to the legal profession, events you are attending, cases you\nare reading. Use it to announce good news such as winning your moot court argument.\n
Law Firm company pages are very new and only a few have really claimed this territory yet. However, definitely look to see if law firms you are interested in working for have a page, and if so, follow them. \n
Recommendations are important as visible testimonials of your work, especially at individual positions. They’re sales testimonials in the best possible way, a way that highlights what you can do and what results you’ve generated in the words of others.\n
Also, if you stake out a profile page in an online directory, you can be held accountable for the truthfulness of what reviewers say about your services. If a consumer, for example, writes about a particular result of their case, you as the attorney may have a duty to remove it since it might violation RPC 1-400. \n
An express disclaimer is required, which does not really work with a recommendation on LinkedIn\n
An express disclaimer is required, which does not really work with a recommendation on LinkedIn\n
An express disclaimer is required, which does not really work with a recommendation on LinkedIn\n
State Bar decisions have found ethical violations of quid pro quo. \n
Endorsements are important, especially as part of the skills and expertise section, because LinkedIn’s tie-ins with corporate HR systems allow hiring managers to rapidly search profiles for needed skills. The fact that people can now vote for your skills likely adds some additional back-end data to those enterprise systems. \n
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Card Munch is a great app that allows you to take a picture of any business card and within a few minutes have all the information digitized in the right categories, with a button to connect with that person on LinkedIn. \n
This is a great way following in person networking to keep a copy of all the data of who you meeting and potentially link in with them. \n
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Post your LinkedIn updates to Twitter to increase the amount of people that may see them, and any content you are sharing. \n
The first question is how the rules of Professional Responsibility apply to social media. \n
Like any other social media for attorneys, be careful of the State Bar rules. \n
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Since any report of a result may require a lengthy warning that is impossible on social media, you are probably prohibited from posting such Tweets or Posts. \n