Office of Professional Development to host social media marketing presentation

It’s nearly impossible to talk about professional responsibility and ethics today without including social media in the conversation.

Social media platforms abound, with individuals and organizations maintaining a presence online that can serve either as a promotional tool or, in some cases, a professional landmine.

The Brandeis Law Office of Professional Development is hosting a presentation Nov. 1 in conjunction with local marketing experts to teach students how to best market themselves on various social media platforms.

But in addition to the perks of social media, it’s also important to understand its pitfalls.

“As attorneys, we must be careful,” says Laurel Hajek, assistant dean of professional development. “The stakes are high when you can’t take something back.”

Hajek emphasizes to students that whatever they put online will be there forever. She encourages 22-year-old law students to think 20 years into the future. Would they want an immature Facebook post to come back to haunt them as they’re running for office?

“That generation shares everything. For them, it’s a release. It’s natural,” Hajek says. “For other generations, it’s not appropriate.”

And especially for those in the legal profession, every post is fair game.

“The rules of professionalism and confidentiality for lawyers are so important,” she says. “There could be a mistrial. There could be big implications. You’ve got to watch everything.”

A version of this article originally was published in the Louisville Bar Association's October 2016 issue of Bar Briefs. 

Photo: pixabay.com