Rudy Baylor: “Every lawyer, at least once in every case, feels himself crossing a line that he doesn’t really mean to cross… it just happens… And if you cross it enough times it disappears forever.  And then you’re nothing but another lawyer joke. Just another shark in the dirty water.”

I am not an expert when it comes to social media.  Who is?  I engage in a hobby of promoting social media use by the legal community to hopefully 1) become a better lawyer and 2) to shed light on what I consider to be a noble profession.  Serving others is my passion.

My first trial was in 6th grade.  I successfully defended Christopher Columbus from a charge that he was solely responsible for bringing death and disease to the New World.  I remember the feeling in the room when the jury was convinced of my arguments.  My teacher was astounded; I can still remember the expression on his face.

Ever since then, I wanted to become a lawyer.  I wanted to be in front of a jury.  Those who know me, who have seen me in mock trials, know I have a knack for being in front of a jury.  I become alive.

While growing up, I learned that some people disliked the legal profession.  People laughed and scoffed at my ambitions.  Why?  How could they after reading To Kill a Mockingbird?  What about Gideon’s Trumpet?  Anatomy of a Murder?  A Civil Action?  How could they dislike lawyers after reading those stories?

Unfortunately, because of some very bad apples, good lawyers suffer and people dislike, distrust, and detest the legal profession.

However, with social media, people get a chance to see a different side of the legal profession.  People might come to learn that the legal profession is mostly comprised of good people.  Law students, lawyers, and legal professionals have the opportunity to interact and learn from each other.  Others can listen in and contribute to the conversation.

One lawyer who engages in social media is Kevin O’Keefe.  USA Today said: “If OKeefe isn’t careful, he may wind up giving lawyers a good name.”  I hope Kevin succeeds.

Social media is not about marketing.  If you think the goal of using social media is a means to making money, you will fail.  Social media offers the legal community a chance to reclaim their profession from the crooks who tarnished it, learn from each other, and ultimately become better lawyers.

Here’s how we can learn from the social media tool YouTube:

Don’t do:

A Lawyer’s Reaction:

Lawyer Time-Saving Tips:

Passion:

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