Helen W. Gunnarsson\’s cover story on Social Media for Lawyers in the June 2009 issue of the Illinois Bar Journal

1. Are you Linkedln?
Facebooking?
Tweeting?
Or still figuring out what it's all about and why you should care?
Here's a lawyer's guide to social media.
Twitter and LinkedIn
and Facebook, Oh My!
By Helen W. Gunnarsson
Helen v. Gunnarsson, a
lawyer in Highland Park,
is an Illinois Bar Journal
contributing writer.
288 I ILLI!'OOIS liAR .I0UR!'OAL I JUNE 2009 I VOL. 97

2. ou log on to the Internet every morning as soon as you get to work, How do these media
work? LinkedIn, Facebook,
if not as soon as you get out of bed at home. Though you carry and Twitter are three social
a cell phone and return voicemails promptly, e-mail, which you networking sites particularly
popular with lawyers. All
check throughout the day, is your preferred and frequent means of three prominently invite us-
communication with your colleagues, your clients, your friends, and your family. ers to write notes for public
consumption, but each has
its own distinctive personality
and features. Together they
Your law firm or employer and others looking to enhance sultant Simon Young explains
provide good illustrations of
has its own Web site. You their practices, businesses, ca- social networking in a Decem-
how lawyers, among others,
routinely research matters not reers, job searches, or public ber 23, 2008, entry on Den-
can use them to benefit pro-
only using Fastcase through profiles. ver career coach Carol Ross's
fessionally as well as person-
ISBA, but also by Googling This isn't news to law stu- Weblog "A Bigger Voice"
ally.
names and other search dents and newly admitted (http://www.a biggervoice
terms. Sometimes you even lawyers, and early tech adopt- blog.com/2008/12/virtual-vs- Linkedln - the
post questions or comments ers have been Facebooking real-world.html), "There's a
"professional" option
on ISBA's Internet discussion for years. But social network- myth around that the 'virtual
groups. All in all, you're satis- ing is part of the broad main- world' is somehow a different The most purely profes-
fied that you're using technol- stream now, encompassing place from the real world we sional of the three applica-
ogy effectively as part of your nearly every demographic all live in. tions, LinkedIn provides us-
21 st Century law practice. group. If you've been waiting "Interestingly, it's a myth ers with the ability to post a
Guess what? Somebody for the critical mass to build found only among those who resume-like profile and invite
moved your cheese. before learning more about it, haven't tried out social media others to become "connec-
Voicemail is becoming wait no longer. and social networks. Once tions." Register for free at
you dip your toe in the online LinkedIn.com, and LinkedIn
conversation, you find that prompts you to post a virtu-
blogs, Facebook, Twitter - al CV using its template. It's
and on and on - are all elabo- easy to use; assuming that you
Mark Wojcik says he maintains rations on (not replacements already have a resume in elec-
of) the art of one human re- tronic format, you can simply
a Facebook page in part to remind copy and paste portions of it
lating to another."
his students that employers Som, Ross, Young, and into the template.
others have embraced social In addition to the usual
will check out their pages. background information any
networking applications and
are using them to make con- CV contains, the Linkedln
nections that benefit their law template asks you to catego-
practices, their businesses, rize your position by industry
and their careers. Fastcase, and geographical area. At the
passe, and Google searches which provides ISBA mem- bottom of the template, you
Networking is
and e-mail, fast and efficient bers with free online legal may list your goals by check-
though they are, are no longer nothing new
research, joins Starbucks, ing boxes. Career opportuni-
the latest and hottest develop- Networking is nothing Borders, and other companies ties, getting back in touch,
ments on the Internet. Social new. The Internet simply who have Facebook pages consulting offers, expertise
networking media such as Fa- presents us with more oppor- and tweet away to their fol- requests, and new ventures
cebook, LinkedIn, and Twit- tunities to interact with more lowers through their Twitter are some of the goal options
ter - also known as Web 2.0 people more efficiently than accounts. offered. There's also a spot
- are now what everybody's in person or over the phone. Nonprofits and education- to add a professionally taken
talking about. And all are free "In cyberspace, you're attend- al institutions, as well as those photo to your profile.
to use. ing the world's largest cock- espousing political and other Linkedln offers various
Though both Facebook tail party. Everyone is there," causes, use Facebook and free applications to add some
and Twitter have been the comments Chicago lawyer LinkedIn for providing news pizzazz to your profile. You
butts of Internet humor (see, Sonya aids Som. And even and facilitating discussions can upload a slide show from
for example, a March 2009 though the connecting may and networking among their PowerPoint, Google Presenta-
story line involving reporter occur through electronic me- alumni and fans. Indeed, ISBA tion, or SlideShare Presenta-
Roland Burton Hedley in dia, at its heart are the same itself has a group on Linke- tions to showcase an example
Garry Trudeau's Doonesbury human-to-human interactions dIn, moderated by Board of of your work.
comic), those sites, along with that occur at in-person social Governors member and John Other applications will en-
LinkedIn, Weblogs, and on- functions. Marshall Law School Pro- able you to synchronize your
line discussion groups, can be New Zealand writer, sto- fessor Mark Wojcik, that all blog, if you have one, with
supremely useful to lawyers ryteller, and social media con- members may join. your Linkedln profile. Com-
VOL. 97 I JUNE 2009 I ILLII'OIS BAR JOURNAL I 289

3. TWITTER I Continued
pany Buzz will provide you with any concerning projects you're working on, join, if you wish. You can do your own
Twitter activity related to your firm or job opportunities or availability, or any- searches to find other interest groups that
business. My Travel allows you to share thing else of a career-related nature that's you may like to join. Some businesses,
your current whereabouts and travel on your mind. LinkedIn also enables you institutions, political candidates, elected
plans with LinkedIn colleagues, facili- to send private messages to others. officials, and others have pages invit-
tating in-person meetings for coffee or a ing Facebook members to become fans.
meal. Facebook for fun and profit Click on the button to become a fan, and
Having created your profile, you'll Used by more than 200 million mem- that information will show up on your
probably want to find out who else you bers, Facebook provides many of the own Facebook page.
know is on LinkedIn, let them know same capabilities and services as Linked- Facebook also offers different levels
you've joined, and invite them to be con- In, but with a distinctly more informal of privacy settings. Only members may
tacts. The site makes it easy to find people interface. Sign up, and you'll be prompt- view other members' pages. You may
en masse by allowing it to access your e- ed to create your own profile with the adjust your account settings so that your
mail address book. (The site promises not identifying information you choose. (The profile is visible to all members or only
to retain your password or your address site requires users to submit to your friends. You can also limit your
book information and won't send you their names, birthdays, and
or your contacts spam.) It also enables e-mail addresses, and re-
quick searches for former colleagues and stricts users to one page.)
classmates, based on the information in The Facebook template
your profile. You can then send contact inquires as to distinctly
An active and avid Twitter user
invitations to the people you know who personal information, in- now, Carol Ross says her reaction
already have LinkedIn profiles. cluding relationship status,
Like other social networking sites, political and religious af-
to the application after registering
LinkedIn offers users various levels of pri- filiations, interests, activi- for and using it briefly in 2007 was
vacy. You can decide whether you want ties, favorite books, music,
your profile to be visible to everyone or movies, TV shows, and "140 characters, why bother?"
only to your contacts. You can also de- quotations; you may pro-
cide whether you want your contacts to vide all, some, or none of
be able to view your contacts. Chicago that information, as you
lawyer Susan Clatter Kamman chooses prefer. It also permits you
to keep hers private, since they include to write a short paragraph "About Me" friends' access to portions of your infor-
clients and, she says, "I don't want other and to include an identifying photo. mation, such as being able to see who's
lawyers to poach them." Your site within Facebook includes written on your wall. And Facebook also
Another privacy setting permits you not only your profile page but also your allows you to create different groups of
to decide whether you want your con- own "Wall" on which you and your friends, with each group able to access
nections to be notified when you update Facebook friends can post messages, your profile differently.
your profile or change your status by, for links, or photos. You'll see a box at the For example, you might group your
example, changing jobs. And before you top of your own page encouraging you closest personal friends or family mem-
start browsing other people's profiles, to do so with the question "What's on bers together and allow them access to
you may appreciate knowing that they'll your mind?" Navigate to someone else's all portions of your profile. If you're not
be able to find out that you did - and that page, and you'll see the same box, but comfortable allowing your colleagues
you can find information about who has with the instruction "Write something." and clients to view all of the information
viewed your profile - unless you adjust Facebook also gives you a separate about yourself that you've posted, or all
that privacy setting. page with any photos you may post. You public posts from your friends, or, for
Concerns such as client poaching not- can add applications to configure your that matter, the identities of your friends,
withstanding, most LinkedIn users allow page to include such matters as listings you might group them separately, re-
their connections to view the identities of books you've read or want to read, stricting their access to portions of your
of their other connections. That's part favorite links, and other media or infor- profile.
of the site's attraction and power: when mation.
Twitter - not for twits only
you can see whom the people you know Like LinkedIn, Facebook offers you
know, you understand whom you can the option of allowing the site to search Media stories referring to Facebook
ask for an introduction to someone with your address book so you can find people and LinkedIn are now common. But the
whom you're not yet connected. you know who already have Facebook social media application that may be get-
You can also ask your connections to pages more easily. If you choose, you can ting the most buzz these days is Twitter.
write recommendations for you, which have the site send e-mails to friends who Registered users may submit a picture,
become part of your profile - and you have not yet joined Facebook to do so. a short biography, and a website if they
can offer to write recommendations for If you've included your educational have one. Upon doing so, you'll have
those you know. The site also allows you information in your profile, Facebook your own page with an empty box at the
to find groups you might like to join, in- will make it easy for you to find high top, captioned "What are you doing?"
cluding bar and alumni associations. You school and college alumni groups with You can write anything you please
can post public messages to those groups their own Facebook pages that you may in that box, from noting that you're en-
290 I ILLINOIS BAR JOURNAL I JUNE 2009 I VOL. 97

4. joying a cup of coffee, to musing upon preme court case of interest to him came to get to some people, but other people
a knotty question of civil procedure, to down, he used Twitter's search function might need different channels."
posting an interesting link, to asking a to find up-to-the-minute tweets about it. E-mail, Walters continues, is an alter-
question, to sending a message directly Many of those tweets, he says, contained native form of communication that also
to another Twitter user. Whatever you links to the latest news and analysis. works well for some lawyers. "But we
write, though, has to be limited to 140 And, since the search engine yields the have the same problem: because lawyers
characters. Any more, and Twitter will identities of the tweeters along with the are busy, they can't read everything in
truncate your tweet. tweets, you may end up deciding to fol- their inboxes." To reach as many poten-
Finish your 140-character tweet and low some additional people and thereby tial customers as effectively as possible,
click the button, and your message will obtaining even more interesting or use- then, Walters says, his company has
appear in Twitter's real time stream of ful information. "For searching certain adopted a multi-pronged communica-
all tweets as well as on your page. It will kinds of information, Twitter is more tion approach.
also show up on the pages of your fol- useful than Google," Schaeffer said. "We have a page on Facebook. When
lowers. Hundreds of free downloadable appli- we launch new features, we announce
Followers? That's Twitter's term, cations exist to enable users to use Twitter them on our Facebook page" as well
analogous to "friends" on Facebook or more effectively. The popular TweetDeck, as on Walters' and other Fastcase col-
"connections" on LinkedIn. Each Twit- for example, facilitates Twitter searches leagues' individual Facebook pages. "We
ter user's page has a "Follow" button at and enables you to create subgroups of also have a blog and a weekly newsletter
the top. When you've created an account the persons you're following to make it where we make those announcements."
with Twitter, you may choose to follow easier to keep track of tweets you're like- And both Fastcase and Walters tweet
other Twitter users by clicking the but- ly to find of particular interest, among about the company on Twitter.
tons under their pictures. They, in turn, other things. Twitter itself offers integra-
may choose to follow you. Once you're tion with its users' Facebook pages and Time sinkhole or timesaver?
following another Twitter user, that per- blogs, so you can configure your Twitter Might they not be more of a drain
son's tweets will show up on your page. settings to update both automatically. on already-busy lawyers' schedules than
If you don't "get" Twitter on reading Other Twitter applications include they're worth? Sonya Olds Som agrees
about it, or even upon registering, you're Twubble, which aids users in finding that all users should impose some disci-
in good company. An active and avid others with similar interests, Twellow, a pline on the amount of time they spend
Twitter user now, Carol Ross says her re- Twitter directory sorted by occupation, using these media. But, like Walters, Som
action to the application after registering and TweetBeep, enabling you to find out believes that using at least one social
for and using it briefly in 2007 was "140 who's tweeting about you, your prod- networking application can save a busy
characters, why bother?" ucts, your company, or your website. lawyer's time.
Earlier this year, she gave Twitter "If you're looking to expand your
another try and stuck with it. Now, she Part of a multi.pronged
professional or personal network, and
says Twitter has expanded her social and communication approach you have a far-reaching range of people
professional network and has given her Certainly, social media applications from law school, college, high school,
insights she otherwise might not have enable the user to both find out and dis- grade school, and former employers that
gotten. "If you're on Twitter and you seminate an enormous amount of infor- you might be able to get back into con-
start to talk a lot about some insightful mation. Can businesses really use them tact with, it's a timesaver to use at least
things about some hot topic in your field, effectively? one of these methods. Otherwise you're
people who need your help will naturally Fastcase CEO Ed Walters says his going to have to go person-to-person,
start to pay attention." company does. One of his aims is to let by phone or e-mail, to get back into
Spending all day tweeting and watch- other lawyers know what his company touch."
ing your Twitter stream to see who else has to offer them. To do so, Walters says, Observes Ross, "We network in a lot
has tweeted about what, is neither fea- he has to find the best way of getting his of different ways. You go to a network-
sible nor enticing, of course. Madison message to them. "We're dealing with ing event, you have to spend time getting
County lawyer and blogger Evan Schaef- lawyers who are very busy. If you want dressed up, you have to spend time going
fer explains one way that he makes effec- to tell people about something, it's really in the car, and so on." Ross recommends
tive use of Twitter. "You can use it to find hard to get through. People are in court, deciding how much total time you want
people who are interested in the same they don't have any time, they're work- to spend networking, whether in person
things as you are. Then, when you start ing really hard, they're on the phone. For or on line, and reallocating some of that
following those people, you have created some lawyers, social networks are by far time to online media.
a group of editors who are constantly the best way of reaching them." "If you aren't spending any time net-
searching the Internet for information Walters cites Fastcase's launches of its working, you're doing something wrong.
that you'll be likely to find of interest. partnerships with state bar associations You're missing out. If you're only focused
Twitter becomes like an RSS feeder on as a prime example. "In the past, we did on doing your job, you're really shooting
steroids, where other people are doing just an article in a bar journal. That can yourself in the foot." And Ross agrees
the work for you of looking through the be very effective. But it turns out that that online social networking can make
Internet for interesting information." not everybody has time to read their bar it far easier for lawyers in smaller com-
Noting that Twitter is searchable, journals. They're busy. We began to re- munities, or lawyers who are temporar-
Schaeffer says that when a recent su- alize that the bar journal is a good way ily inactive, perhaps staying home with
VOL. 97 I JUNE 2009 I ILLlI"OIS BAR JOURI"AL I 291

5. TWITTER I Continued
small children, or lawyers who are introverted, to
keep up with professional life. More on social networking for lawyers
Som adds that social networks can also be high-
ly effective for expanding anyone's set of contacts.
"You can never be entirely certain who might be a Generally
good person to be in contact with. The wider you "Social Networking for Lawyers:The How,What,Why and Importance of
cast your net, the more potential good fish you can NOW!" by lawyer blogger Carolyn Elefant, a 36-page e-book available for free
catch, so to speak." download: http://www.jdsupra.com/postidocumentViewer.aspx?fid=4S 23 296c-
27Se-4ge4-Be3 I-I Sbd623 Ib Ic2
Furthermore, she says, "As someone who's try-
ing to generate business, I think it's a very valu- "Lawyer 2.0," the Closed Stacks blog, run by several librarians, posted on
able way to stay out in front of your clients and social networking for lawyers on March 30,2009 at http://c1osedstacks.
customers without looking like you're constantly wordpress.com/2009/03/30/lawyer-20/
trying to call them and ask them for something."
"Ins and Outs of Social Networking for Lawyers: How Tough Is It to Cast Your
Be careful what you share Profile into Infinity?" American Bar Association, Law Practice, january 200B
Som, Walters, and Ross also urge users to im- issue, article by Denise Howell and Ernest Svenson on social networking for
pose some discipline on the quality of their usage. lawyers: http://www.abanet.org/lpm/magazine/articles/v34/is l/pg47.shtml
"Be yourself, but be the best public representation
"Networking Naturally or How to Make Your Own Luck," Ordinary Ufe,
of yourself," counsels Som.
Extraordinary Uving (Carol Ross on social networking): http://carolross.typepad:
Likening social networks on the Internet to a
com/ordinary _Iife_extraordina/2009/03/networking-naturally-program.html
never-ending cocktail party, she asks, "What is
the version of yourself that you'd like to present
Twitter
at that cocktail party?" The answer: "A careful
"Twitter 101 for Lawyers," Practicing Law in the 21 st Century
mingling of personal and professional informa-
http://2lstcenturylaw.wordpress.com/200B/ I I/04/twitter-1 0 I-for-Iawyers/
tion, which is no different than what you would
do if you were talking to someone at a high school "Lawyer marketing with Twitter," Stem, Law Firm Web Strategy blog
reunion or a cocktail party. You don't want to http://www.stemlegal.com/strategyblog/200B/lawyer-marketing-with-twitter/
overshare in this public forum which can craft the
opinion of people who you want to have a busi- "Twitter for lawyers," HealthBlawg
ness relationship with." http://healthblawg.typepad.com/healthblawg/2009/01/twitter-for-lawyers.html
Mark Wojcik says he maintains a Facebook
"Twitter for lawyers 101," LawyerCasting
page in part to remind his students that employers
http://www.lawyercasting.com/200B/OS/lawyers-twitter.html
will check out their pages. "Pages are not 'private,'
and what you post the entire world can see.... You "How to Effectively Use Twitter to Build Business Relationships (and make
might think this is unfair, but Web pages are not friends at the same time)," The Invent Blog, Stephen Nipper (patent attorney)
private." http://inventblog.com/2009/03/how-to-effectively-use-twitter-to-build-
Walters tells a tale that illustrates Wojcik's bus iness- relati onsh ips.html
warning. A young person applied with his com-
pany a few years ago, and a fairly routine online Facebook
due diligence check revealed that the applicant had "How to Friend Mom, Dad, and the Boss on Facebook ... Safely" from the New
made disparaging comments about his interview York Times,january 30,2009: http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/
process with Fastcase on his Facebook page. "I 2009/0 I/30/30readwriteweb-how _to _friend_mom_ dad_and_the.html ?em
ended up having a conversation with him and tell-
ing him he needed to be careful about this stuff," "Being There," New York Times article on the subtle art of the Facebook
Walters said. update, by Virginia Heffernan, February 10, 2009
Comments Ross, "Online is no different than http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/IS/magazine/ISwwln-medium-t.html
offline in how would you conduct yourself with
friends, with colleagues, with clients. The differ- "Friends Until I Delete You," New York Times article on Unfriending someone
ence is there's a public record when you're online. on Facebook, by Douglas Quenqua, September 7, 200B
How do you conduct yourself in every day life? If http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/29/fashion/29facebook.html
you conduct yourself with poor judgment in ev-
eryday life and you go online, it will be magnified, linkedln
and it will be there forever." "linkedln for job Seekers DVD," I'm on linkedln - NowWhat? linkedln for
But, Ross and Som continue, that's not to job Seekers DVD: http://www.linkedinlawyer.blogspot.com/
say lawyers should shy away from online social
"I'm a lion - Hear Me Roar!" I'm on Unkedln - Now What? jason Alba, july 3 I,
networking. To the contrary, both advocate em-
200B: http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/200B/07/31 /im-a-lion-hear-me-roar/
bracing social networking and taking ownership
of your public profile. Believes Som, "That's the "Should You Be An Open Connector," I'm on Unkedln - Now What? jason Alba,
reality of how we live today. Google anyone and it March 9, 2009: http://imonlinkedinnowwhat.com/2009/03/02/should-you-be.
doesn't take long to find a trace of what they're do- an-open-connector/
ing. Nothing is a secret for very long anymore."
292 I ILLINOIS BAR JOURNAL I JUNE 2009 I VOL. 97

6. The virtual handshake always, 'Give first.' That's something Adds Walters, "When people extend
Ross believes you'll get out of social that people in professional services fields the virtual hand to you, you shake that
media what you put into it. "Whatever should already know, that it's about hand. When people issue a friend request
you put out there is going to naturally forming a relationship and not about a to you, it's a very good idea to accept it."
attract what it should. If you put drivel transaction first, but it's a good reminder As moderator of ISBA's LinkedIn
out there, people who like drivel will for everybody." group, Wojcik adds his own plug. "If
be attracted to it. If you put really good Comments Som, "You shouldn't just
you are a member of the Illinois State Bar
stuff out there, people who like really be the recipient of recommendations on
Association, you should be in the ISBA
good stuff will be attracted to that. With LinkedIn, and you shouldn't post only
group on LinkedIn. It is another way for
all these tools, you get the whole mix of when you're looking for a job or to pro-
clients and colleagues to find you. When
humanity out there. You get everything vide a service. There needs to be give and
take and back and forth. To the extent economic times are difficult, no one can
from infantile conversations to some
pretty heady stuff, and everything in be- that you can, stop and think of ways afford to write off an important free re-
tween. How you choose to use it is up you can comment on what other people source. Social networking over the In-
to you." are doing. Interact with them. Provide ternet will never replace the face-to-face
Along with Som and Walters, Ross advice, feedback, assistance, and posi- meetings in Chicago, Springfield, or Lake
emphasizes her view of proper social tive reinforcement to others. Live by the Geneva, but they are a fantastic way to
networking etiquette. "The first rule is Golden Rule." stay in touch." •
LETTERS I Continued/rom page 274
pleted state form. It would be unfor- sible option would be to simply affirm the words they use are endorsed by the
tunate for Illinoisans if they were now patient rights and honor their wishes, Illinois General Assembly.
told to add that cumbersome layer of not to perpetuate the notion that their Paul Malley, President
formality to what is now a simple and decisions will not be honored unless Aging with Dignity
understandable process, both for the
public and health care providers.
Five Wishes is immensely popular
precisely because it is easy to under-
DEPRESSION,
stand and use and is written in clear,
everyday language (23 languages). Five STRESS, ADDICTIONS ...
Wishes, unlike state forms, addresses
personal, family, spiritual, dignity, and
comfort issues, which are the things BELIEVE IT OR NOT THIS
people say would matter most to them
IS AN UPLIFTING STORY.
if they were seriously ill or near death.
Five Wishes has thus helped shift
the focus to what the patient wants or There arc many stories of lawyers, judges, and law students
doesn't want so that his comfort and who struggle with depression, stress, addiction, and
dignity are honored. We're proud of compulsive disorders including problem gambling.
the many Illinois health care providers,
employers, businesses, places of wor- So where's the uplifting part? LAP provides confidential
help for the issues that interfere with professional and
ship and attorneys that are among our
personal life. Services include assessment, referral, peer
15,000 partner organizations nation-
support, and intervention.
wide and that are themselves part of a
larger engine driving change in America. We have countless uplifting stories, but we do our work
For our part, we continue to consult quietly, confidentially, and professionally - so the stories
with the ABA Commission on Law and stay with us.
Aging to keep current on all legal mat-
ters related to advance care planning.
Koenig and Hyde conclude that be-
cause Five Wishes is popular, lawyers Toll Free: SOD, AP. 1233
L
and the General Assembly should go Chicago Office: 312.726.6607 LAWYERS' ASSISTANCE
Downstate Office: 61S.233.1527
back and make the Illinois state form
more user-friendly, sort of like trying
to build a rounder wheel. A more sen-
Website: www.illinoislap.org
Email: gethelp@illinoislap.org IIp'~
VOL. 97 I JUNE 2009 I ILLINOIS IlAR JOURNAL I 293