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Presented by
Nicole I. Hyland
Social Media Ethics
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Why do Lawyers Get Into Trouble on
Social Media?
Introduction
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The Myth of the Privacy Bubble
Forgetting the Rules
Misusing Social Media as a Discovery or Investigatory Tool
Failing to Counsel Clients about Social Media
Four Social Media Traps
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The Myth of the Privacy Bubble
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“… proper attire for trial.”
Facebook post by Public Defender Anya Citron Stern
(Fl. 2012)
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Result:
Motion for mistrial - granted
Lawyer fired
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Internet Circa 1993
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Internet Circa 2012
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Look before you tweet
“Naughty, naughty boy”
“Why is Phil Klein (sic) smiling? There is nothing to smile about, douchebag.”
- Tweets by Sarah Peterson Herr, a research attorney with the Kansas Court of Appeals
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Public Statement by Herr
“I didn't stop to think that in addition to communicating with a few of my friends on Twitter I was also communicating with the public at large, which was not appropriate for someone who works for the court system.”
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Statement by Herr (Cont.)
“I apologize that because the comments were made on Twitter – and thus public – that they were perceived as a reflection on the Kansas courts.”
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Result:
Suspended from job, pending investigation
Subsequently, fired.
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The Myth of Privacy
“There can be no reasonable expectation of privacy in a tweet sent around the world.”
- People v. Harris (N.Y. Crim. Court 2012) (denying motion to quash subpoena to Twitter for information relating to Defendant’s account)
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The Internet is for cats …
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To Summarize …
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Social Media Hypotheticals
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The Myth of the Privacy Bubble
Forgetting the Rules
Misusing Social Media as a Discovery or Investigatory Tool
Failing to Counsel Clients about Social Media
Four Social Media Traps
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Social Media as a Discovery or
Investigatory Tool
Hypothetical A
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“The great virtue of a laptop is that it can be used on one’s lap, while sitting on a sofa, or perhaps while in bed. Indeed, we note that the Facebook page for ‘Using the laptop in bed’ . . . has nearly one million ‘Likes.’”
-Ferraro v. Hewlett-Packard Co.
(7th Cir. 2013)
Social Media as Evidence
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“[I]t is reasonable to infer from the limited postings on plaintiff's public Facebook and MySpace profile pages that her private pages may contain material and information that are relevant to her claims or that may lead to the disclosure of admissible evidence.”
- Romano v. Steelchase, 30 Misc.3d 426 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2010)
Social Media as Discovery
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“To deny defendant an opportunity to access these sites not only would go against the liberal discovery policies of New York favoring pretrial disclosure, but would condone plaintiff's attempt to hide relevant information behind self-regulated privacy settings.”
-Romano v. Steelchase, 30 Misc.3d 426
(N.Y. Sup. Ct. 2010)
Social Media as Discovery
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Defendant’s motion to compel discovery concerning plaintiff’s social media accounts denied due to unexplained delay.
-Guzman v. Farrell Building Co.
(Suffolk County 2012)
Delay in Seeking Social Media
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Include social media at an early stage in your discovery plan
Update your definition of ESI
Include social media in your document preservation letters
Discovery Requests and Subpoenas
Incorporating Social Media
Into Your Discovery Plan
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Investigating Social Media Ethically
Hypothetical B
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Lawyers may view public areas of social media accounts
NYSBA Opinion 843 (2010)
SDCBA Ethics Op. 2011-2
“Passive” Viewing of Social Media
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“No Contact” Rule (Rule 4.2)
Passive viewing of public pages vs. “friending” (NYSBA Opinion 843)
Lawyer can’t “friend” high-ranking executives of represented corporation (SDCBA Ethics Op. 2011-2)
“Friending” a Represented Party
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Communicating with unrepresented party (Rule 4.3)
Use of Deception (Rules 4.1(a) and 8.4)
Duty to Supervise (Rule 5.3)
“Friending” an Unrepresented Person
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“Friending” allowed as long as lawyer uses real name and no deception (NY City Bar Op. 2010-02)
Compare with Phil. Op. 2009-2 and SDCBA Ethics Op. 2011-2: Lawyer must disclose objectives
“Friending” an Unrepresented Person
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Preserving Social Media
Hypothetical C
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“I Love Hot Mamas.”
- Lester v. Allied Concrete (Virginia 2013)
Preserving Social Media
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Client and lawyer ordered to pay sanction of
$722,000
Result:
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Consequences for Lawyer
Paid $542,000 in sanctions
Resigned from law firm
Suspended for five years
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Plaintiff sanctioned with an adverse inference instruction, allowing jury to infer that social media evidence destroyed by Plaintiff would have been harmful to his case.
- Gatto v. United Airlines (N.J. 2013)
Preserving Social Media
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Counseling Clients re Social Media
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Counseling Clients re Social Media
You may counsel clients about what they post on social media
You may counsel your clients about the legal implications of their social media activity
You may advise your clients to “take down” social media postings (with a big caveat)
- NYCLA Op. 745 (2013)
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Using Common Sense
Hypothetical D
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Look before You Tweet
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Researching Jurors
Hypothetical E
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Researching Jurors
Communicating with Jurors (Rule 3.5(a)(4))
“Unreasonable” for court to prevent lawyer from researching jurors on-line during voir dire (Carino v. Muenzen (N.J. 2010))
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Researching Jurors Attorneys may research jurors on
social media as long as no communication occurs (NYCBA Op. 2012-2)
Lawyers may search jurors’ social media sites provided there is no contact or communication and lawyer does not seek to friend or follow jurors (NYCLA 743)
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Impugning Judges
Hypothetical F
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Impugning Judges
“Evil, unfair witch”
“Ugly, condescending attitude”
“Seemingly mentally ill”
- Florida State Bar v. Conway (2008)
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Result:
Public Reprimand on Consent
- Florida State Bar v. Conway (2008)
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Impugning a Judge (Rule 8.1(a))
“A lawyer shall not knowingly make a false statement of fact concerning the qualifications, conduct or integrity of a judge or other adjudicatory officer or of a candidate for election or appointment to judicial office.”
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Juror Misconduct
Hypothetical G
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Juror Misconduct
Lawyer must promptly report juror misconduct (Rule 3.5(d))
Attorneys must use best judgment to determine if Juror has acted improperly; may not consider whether conduct benefits attorney (NYCBA Op. 2012-2)
“[L]itigants should endeavor to prevent retrials by completing an early investigation” of jurors. Johnson v. McCullough (Mo. 2010)
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Ex Parte Communications with Judges
Hypothetical H
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The Wrong Way to Handle It
Lawyer: “I hope I'm in my last day of trial.”
Judge: “You are in your last day of trial.”
- Matter of Terry (North Carolina 2009)
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Result:
Judge Publicly Reprimanded
- Matter of Terry (North Carolina 2009)
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The Right Way to Handle It
Judge in criminal case was Facebook friends with victim’s father
Father sent Facebook message to Judge asking for leniency towards criminal defendant
Judge disclosed message and reported to judicial conduct commission
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Result:
No showing of bias:
“Merely designating someone as a friend on Facebook ‘does not show the degree or intensity of the judge’s relationship with a person.’”
- Youker v. Texas (quoting ABA Op. 462 (2013))
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Social Media as Advertising
Hypothetical I
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Mischaracterized legal skills and prior successes
Falsely stated he handled matters in federal court
Falsely stated he graduated from law school in 2005
-In the Matter of Dannitte Mays Dickey (South Carolina 2012)
Advertising Violations (LinkedIn)
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Listed 50 practice areas in which he had little or no experience
Used the word “specialist” even though not certified as a specialist
- In the Matter of Dannitte Mays Dickey (South Carolina 2012)
Advertising Violations (LinkedIn)
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Advertising Violations (LinkedIn)
“Respondent began using these websites without adequate review of the relevant provisions of the South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct.”
- In the Matter of Dickey (South Carolina 2012)
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Result:
Public Reprimand
-In the Matter of Dickey (South Carolina 2012)
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“Case finally over. Unanimous verdict! Celebrating tonight.”
“Another great victory in court today? Client is delighted! Who wants to be next?”
“Won a million dollar verdict. Tell your friends and check out my website.”
“Just published an article on wage and hour breaks. Let me know if you would like a copy.”
California Op. 2012-186
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Blogging and Confidentiality
Hypothetical J
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Blogging and Confidentiality
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Duty of Confidentiality (Rule 1.6(a))
Lawyer shall not knowingly
reveal “confidential information”
or use such information to the
disadvantage of a client or for the
advantage of the lawyer or a third
party (absent consent or other
exception).
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Information gained during or relating to the representation of the client, whatever its source that is:
Protected by the attorney-client privilege;
Likely to be embarrassing or detrimental to the client if disclosed; or
Information that the client has requested be kept confidential
“Confidential Information”
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Blogging and Confidentiality
“This stupid kid is taking the rap for his drug-dealing dirtbag of an older brother because "he’s no snitch.” . . . My client is in college. Just goes to show you that higher education does not imply that you have any sense.”
- Complaint, In the Matter of Peshek (Illinois)
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“He was standing there in court stoned, right in front of the judge, probation officer, prosecutor and defense attorney, swearing he was clean.”
- Complaint, In the Matter of Peshek (Illinois)
Blogging and Confidentiality
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Result:
Suspended from practice for 60 days
Fired after 19 years in Public Defenders office
- In the Matter of Peshek (Illinois 2010)
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What About the First Amendment?
o Hunter v. Virginia State Bar
o Held: Attorney’s Blog
Constitutes Commercial
Speech; Disclaimer Required
o Also Held: Attorney Permitted
to Blog About Completed
Cases
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To Summarize …
Social Media Do’s and Don’t’s
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Do:
Know the Rules (ethics, TOS, employment, netiquette, substantive)
Stay current on relevant ethics opinions and decisions
Be professional and classy
Guard client confidentiality
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Do: Vet endorsements and
recommendations
Use appropriate disclaimers
Counsel your clients appropriately about social media
Take advantage of social media as an investigatory and discovery tool. But be transparent and follow the rules.
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Don’t: Embarrass your client, yourself, your
firm, or others
Disclose confidential information
Try to hide behind anonymity
Misrepresent or exaggerate your qualifications
Communicate with represented parties
Communicate with jurors
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Don’t: Engage in ex parte communications
with judges
Insult or disparage judges (or anyone)
Engage in deception
Give legal advice
Overlook social media evidence
Destroy social media evidence