Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog by Kara Smith » Social Media Legal News

Should European in-house lawyers be allowed to be members of the bar – Legal pros using social connect internationally

Kara — Tue, 11 May 2010 16:59:34 +0000

I am excited and enthusiastic about a conversation happening among barristers practicing international law.

European Parliment; Strasbourg, France

On the Martindale-Hubbell Connected German Law Group Blog, a London based journalist who specializes on the European legal market commented,

“There is no privilege for in-house lawyers in Europe. As it stands now, any lawyer who wants to benefit from legal privilege has to be completely independent of the client they are taking instructions from…

Attorneys need to… re-focus their efforts on trying to persuade their local bar associations to allow them to join their organizations on equal term with private practice lawyers. Only once a significant minority of European countries treat in-house lawyers as just as “independent” as their private practice colleagues is the ECJ ever likely to change its opinion on corporate counsel privilege.

A scenaro which makes this situation worse, is often in-house counsel based in the United States is granted privilege by a European judge due to their US origin, in accordance with the standard practice here.

See the Poll on Martindale Hubbell Connected’s German Law Group Forum asking:
Should (German) in-house lawyers be allowed to be members of their bar?

It occurred to me that this situation is exemplary of the kinds of imbalances within the international legal community that attorneys using social media platforms designed specifically for them, will have the ability to bring to light and alleviate. Martindale Hubbell Connected’s closed community on is ideal for this, due to the scrutiny, reputation, and expertise of the firm; while other newer platforms may not be as oriented in the needs the international legal service provider.

Many law firms and individual practitioners alike work to resolve their areas of concern and skepticism about social media, from a strictly theoretical perspective. However, those who are actively embracing the nuances online social media interaction are going to be far out in front in there ROI as a result of using it masterfully over time. Legal organizations working globally are going to more subject to this than any other practitioners.

Log -in here to read and contribute to this discussion on Martindale Hubbell Connected
Joining Martindale Hubbell Connected is free of charge, the only requirement is that you are a legal professional.

The Virtual Law Office Debate on Twitter

Kara — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:56:23 +0000

Once again, @Lisa Solomon has proven herself to be an invaluable information resource…

This afternoon she sent out an note regarding Lance Goddard of 22Tweets moderation of a Twitter debate hosted by ABA Journal about virtual law offices.

It was featuring VLO (Virtual Law Office) expert Stephanie Kimbro and Legal Rebel Richard Granat (in favor) and outspoken Florida Lawyer Brian Tannebaum in opposition; with of course a litany of comments provided by all those tuning in.

You can see and add to the Tweetstream here:

Watch this space for the link to the archive of today’s debate (at @ABAJournal), then add your thoughts to the ongoing conversation #22TwDbless than a minute ago via TweetDeckLance Godard
22twts

In the event you’re not on Twitter, and you should be… You can view the debate at http://tinyurl.com/2csdtm6. (The Tweets are in reverse chronological order, keep clicking “older” to get to the beginning.)

Update to Legal Marketers – Tweets are Embeddable as of May 4th 2010

Kara — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:36:20 +0000

The use of real tweets helps “chunk” the piece both visually and logically; we think it makes it easier to read.

There are some folk who felt that a pasted-in image of a tweet was a bit “tacky”. Personally, I never really minded it, since it illustrated a point. Either way, there’s now an easy to use alternative!

With just a small bit of code you can generate simple, selectable flat-HTML tweets like the one I used here.

Blogged Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the Influence of Legal Marketers: http://tinyurl.com/26d3kjhless than a minute ago via APIKara Smith
karasmamedia

You’ll need to capture a Tweet’s URL and paste it in, so you may want to take a look at Ben Sparks’ directions on how to do so first.

Here’s the link! Blackbird Pie

Legal Marketers – Director Tigre Hill’s Anti-MOVE movie “Barrel of a Gun” in Philly Magazine

Kara — Sat, 01 May 2010 10:58:19 +0000

The last post I wrote about my friend, Philadelphia filmmaker Tigre Hill’s feature documentary “Barrel of a Gun” received some terrific feedback from my legal marketing audience. I’m thrilled to find the Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog readers find his work as intriguing as I do!

His most recent coverage comes from Philadelphia Magazine writer, Don Steinberg in the article,

The Gospel According to Tigre

The film’s take on the matter is that Mumia is guilty as charged — and convicted — in the 1981 killing of Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner. Hill released an incendiary three-minute trailer for Barrel in September, and the global outrage arrived on cue. Abu-Jamal supporters began labeling it an “anti-Mumia lynch-mob movie” and Hill an Uncle Tom. Protest-tourists from around the world started printing up signs to wave at the film’s premiere, which may be in Philadelphia, maybe this month or next, at least according to the last time Hill pushed back the timetable.

The Barrel of a Gun Trailer

The National Bar Association Nominates Honorable Ann Claire Williams for Supreme Court Justice

Kara — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 18:39:45 +0000

The National Bar Association (NBA) announced in a press release today, April 14, 2010, their nomination of the first African American female Supreme Court Justice, the Honorable Ann Claire Williams.

: Honorable Ann Claire Williams

Williams is the first African American ever appointed to the Seventh Circuit and the third African American woman ever to serve on any United States Court of Appeals. The United States Supreme Court seat vacancy will become available after last week’s announcement of Justice John Paul Stevens’ retirement.

Normally, I steer away from direct political involvement. However, I was Ann’s sister Drew’s, roommate when I first moved to Harlem more than 10-years ago, so I’m making an exception. I had the opportunity to spend time talking with Ann during a difficult, transitional time of my life, when I was debating completing college and a career change. Needless-to-say, today with an M.A. in hand and a successful New York business, she was obviously an inspiration to my life, and I wanted to give her my complete support!

All the best to you Ann!

See the NBA Press Release Below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Erika C. Owens, Communications Coordinator
National Bar Association, Phone: (202) 842-3900 x20
eowens@nationalbar.org

Jill M. Butler, Advocacy & Policy Coordinator
National Bar Association, (202) 842-3900 x22
jbutler@nationalbar.org

In a letter written to President Barack Obama, the NBA noted that as “a moderate and faithful adherent to constitutional principles of government, Judge Williams is extremely well qualified to serve on the Supreme Court and has all the necessary experience and the professional expertise to succeed Justice Stevens.” Williams, an active NBA member, has been a leader and long-standing public servant. She was a recipient of the NBA’s William H. Hastie Award and recipient of its Gertrude E. Rush Award, named in honor of the sole female founder of the NBA.

NBA President Mavis T. Thompson noted that “Justice Stevens’ retirement creates the opportunity for the country to have its first African American female Supreme Court Justice. As was the case with Justice Stevens, his replacement must have the highest integrity, be undoubtedly very well qualified, have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to equal justice under the law and possess appropriate judicial temperament.”

Consistent with the NBA’s historic mission and its leadership role on behalf of over 44,000 of the nation’s African American lawyers, judges and academics, the NBA is committed to playing an active role in the process to fill the vacancy created by Justice Stevens’ retirement. The NBA strongly urges President Obama to use this upcoming vacancy as an opportunity to further diversify the high court and to make it more reflective of the nation it serves. Without question, at this critical juncture in the nation’s history and with so many important legal issues to come before the United States Supreme Court, Judge Ann Claire Williams is the right person to succeed Justice Stevens.

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3 Reasons For Legal Marketers to Start Thinking Like Journalists

Kara — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:34:08 +0000

You’re Informed - It’s time to engage your audience
As a professional marketing legal services, there is a need for you to distinguish your services. Obviously, all information is not created equal, and it is more important now than ever for you to reach out to your audience as a viable information source in your area of specialty. You need to provide a venue for them to be able to interact with you easily, and these interactions will translate into the quality clients you want to attract.

News and information sources today have never been more accessible and anyone with an internet connection can contribute to the broadcast of information. A new survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project and the Project for Excellence in Journalism makes clear, we have become a nation of news grazers whose “relationship to news is becoming portable, personalized and participatory.

But as the concept of “journalism” expands to include citizens with cellphone cameras, Twitter Facebook, and LinkedIn, the survey’s responders reflected something we all feel, with 70% of them feeling overwhelmed by the amount of news and information from different sources, and 72% think most sources of news are biased.

All of us consumers want to be connected to the people and products we can trust. There’s no better way for professionals marketing legal services to distinguish their credible information from misinformation and propaganda than by being in control of their online presence. Journalists will seek you out as an expert and when you approach one of them, being able to reference articles your online articles written by firm members and associates will be invaluable.

Your Results Will Reflect Your Efforts
I published an interview I conducted with Social Media expert Chris Brogan last week, reviewing his perspective of social media’s impact on legal marketing services. The next day, I featured the article in my e-mail newsletter and posted it on the Karasma Media Platforms on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

It’s important to note that fresh information is kept flowing on these platforms on a daily basis. Since the article’s initial publication (8-days ago at the time I’m writing this):

The Alexa rating of the Karasma Media Marketing Blog has gone up more than 15%, which translates into an increase of almost 40 readers per day, three calls from prospects and two requests for in-person interviews.

Once legal marketers put their infrastructure of information into place infrastructure is in place and the information is flowing, your potential clients and legitimate journalists are going to use it. Today, legal marketers need to think like journalists because they are increasingly serving as informational gatekeepers, both by creating and publishing original content online and by passing on (and thereby endorsing) news and information created elsewhere.

The Federal Government’s Providing Educational Support
The Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan, which was released last month, offers an important opportunity to increase news-literacy education to millions of students. The plan, authorized in the $787 billion stimulus package last year, is a long-overdue effort to shore up our digital infrastructure by extending high-speed Internet access to the entire country.

The online infrastructure’s in place, and the government is backing it. Now is the time to put your legal information structure into place and bring your online platform up to full speed.

USA Today article referenced: As Journalism Changes, So Must You

NJ Supreme Court Ruling Has Implications for Companies’ Social Media Policies

Kara — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:40:21 +0000

At the end of March 2010, the New Jersey Supreme Court handed down a decision that is certain to have significant implications in social media policy circles.

In Stengart v Loving Care Agency, Plaintiff Stengart, in anticipation of a lawsuit against her employer, Loving Care Agency, sent several email communications to her lawyer from her company-provided laptop, over the company’s Internet server but via her personal Yahoo email account. She did not store her password on the Laptop.

Points to note from this case for social media policy makers within companies – and for users:

When companies allow reasonable personal use of company-issued systems, absent specific policies to the contrary, employees have a reasonable expectation of privacy to the content and communications they access/contribute via personal, password protected sites (ie personal email)

This may (and seems logically to) extend beyond email to social networking sites like Facebook, Martindale Connected and Twitter

That Stengart did not store her password on the computer itself was cited several times as a factor in her reasonable expectation of privacy – which begs the question – if we let our work-issued computers “remember” our passwords (via stored cookies presumably), are we forfeiting our reasonable expectation to privacy to those sites?

Finally, explicit policies notwithstanding, the court was clearly stating that public policy, such as the attorney-client privilege, cannot be waived by well-crafted policies, and therefore there are certain expectations of privacy that employees have on company-issued computers even if the policy states there are none.

Read John Lipsey of Martindale.com’s full article: NJ Supreme Court Ruling Has Implications for Companies’ Social Media Policies

Here’s the Scoop: Facebook for Lawyers Is In the News

Kara — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 19:09:35 +0000

Over the last two years, I’ve been a huge proponent of lawyers cross branding themselves between business and personal on Facebook, not to everyone’s liking.

I was hoping that legal professionals working with criminal cases and other areas of practice would not feel it necessary to broadcast that sharing their personal information was inappropriate. Alas, those of us familiar with the online legal conversation, know this was not to be the case…

At any rate… Here we are, and Yahoo’s gotten very active on Facebook, and their interaction on the platform is one worth noting for legal marketers. Facebook is affording them a platform for cross communication with their readers that they didn’t have on Facebook.

This is where legal comes in…

As of April 2010 – The Facebook Company statistics:

More than 400 million active users
50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day
More than 35 million users update their status each day
More than 60 million status updates posted each day
More than 3 billion photos uploaded to the site each month
More than 5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, notes, photo albums, etc.) shared each week
More than 3.5 million events created each month
More than 3 million active Pages on Facebook
More than 1.5 million local businesses have active Pages on Facebook
More than 20 million people become fans of Pages each day
Pages have created more than 5.3 billion fans

Considering these numbers – chances are pretty good that legal clients are among the people using Facebook

With your blog as the central platform, Facebook along with other platforms of syndication like JD Supra, Ezines, and Martindale Hubbell, the legal marketing community is going to be able to reach out to their audience in a way they’ve never been able to before.

Real Estate Law – just reached a readership of 3,200 Facebook fans. A good start. Here’s an example of how the page’s fans (many of them real estate professionals) respond to JD Supra’s legal content:

The fact is, the mother of all news sites has jumped into the business of curating and distributing stories on Facebook and Twitter – joining the likes of The New York Times, CNN, The Washington Post, Fox News, and all the other media outlets quicker to arrive at the social media party.

Read: Facebook for Lawyers: It’s In the News – JD Supra: The Scoop on Legal Marketing

Small to Mid-size Legal Marketing Firms – Your Online Video Is Allowed to Express Your Individuality

Kara — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 21:05:06 +0000

Whenever I include an article in my online newsletter with “Video” in the title, it receives more opens than any of the others. The same holds true for the articles on this blog, reflecting marketing statistics on video inclusion, across the board.

That being said, here’s my introductory video:

The director, Michael Bailey of Morning Glory Films, is a lifelong friend with a production studio in Washington, D.C. I admit, when he first suggested shooting me with green screen and rock music on the 2nd track, I wasn’t so sure…

My point is, If you craving to differentiate yourself as not “just another legal organization” then don’t be trepidacious about doing so.

My video’s finished product is slightly “out-of-the-box” from what you normally see in the world of legal service marketing. Like it or not, it is something different that’s available for you and you’ve kept reading to this point, and engagement is the first part of conversion!

My goal is to keep stimulating your creative ideas for your legal marketing online platforms, while encouraging you to participate in my “Jump Start” sessions. Hopefully, I’ll accomplish both of those things.

On another note, in case you’re wondering, yes, I used stock footage.

It’s not as if many of you aren’t going to notice! So, I may as well just say it…
Let’s be honest — it keeps costs down and time expense to a minimum and since I’m admitting to it , it is kind of funny, yes?

There’s much more online video to come from Karasma Media. Please feel free to call if you have any questions about how I can assist you with implementing your social media to generate new business.

The Space Between Center Rejuvenates the Creative Spirit of Legal Marketers

Kara — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 11:43:11 +0000

One of the reasons I love working with attorneys is because of the creativity and innovation they bring to their practices. This is probably one of the primary reasons they’re struggling with business development in our current economical environment as much as they are.

I met small business attorney Kevin Houchin about a year-and-a-half ago, not long after he began shifting from hourly billing to billing his clients at a flat-rate. Last year, I included his FTC Toolkit for staying abreast of new online marketing rules in my client communications and I’ve had the privilege of watching his practice flourish.

Many of the small and mid-size firms that I speak with are struggling with this model, particularly litigators and Kevin’s had considerable success with the transition and maintaining his work/life balance.

I’ve received a number of calls lately from brilliant attorneys struggling to implement and/or maintain their firm’s operational business practices, while simultaneously developing new business. Because of this, I’ve become an affiliate of Kevins’ Space Between Center for Creative Spirit In Business

On March 19th, Kevin lead a call co-hosted by legal marketing expert Ben Glass that addressed the question:

Are you tired of struggling to have the lifestyle you deserve and work with the entrepreneurial clients you enjoy?

Sign-up here to here to hear the recording
Become a Fan of The Space Between Center Facebook to stay informed of upcoming events.

Karasma Media Legal Marketing Blog by Kara Smith » Social Media Legal News

Should European in-house lawyers be allowed to be members of the bar – Legal pros using social connect internationally

Other articles you may be interested in:

The Virtual Law Office Debate on Twitter

Other articles you may be interested in:

Update to Legal Marketers – Tweets are Embeddable as of May 4th 2010

Here’s the link! Blackbird Pie

Other articles you may be interested in:

Legal Marketers – Director Tigre Hill’s Anti-MOVE movie “Barrel of a Gun” in Philly Magazine

His most recent coverage comes from Philadelphia Magazine writer, Don Steinberg in the article,

The Barrel of a Gun Trailer

Other related articles you may be interested in:

The National Bar Association Nominates Honorable Ann Claire Williams for Supreme Court Justice

#

Other articles you may be interested in:

3 Reasons For Legal Marketers to Start Thinking Like Journalists

Other articles you may be interested in:

NJ Supreme Court Ruling Has Implications for Companies’ Social Media Policies

Points to note from this case for social media policy makers within companies – and for users:

Other articles you may be interested in:

Here’s the Scoop: Facebook for Lawyers Is In the News

This is where legal comes in…

Considering these numbers – chances are pretty good that legal clients are among the people using Facebook

With your blog as the central platform, Facebook along with other platforms of syndication like JD Supra, Ezines, and Martindale Hubbell, the legal marketing community is going to be able to reach out to their audience in a way they’ve never been able to before.

Read: Facebook for Lawyers: It’s In the News – JD Supra: The Scoop on Legal Marketing

Other articles you may be interested in:

Small to Mid-size Legal Marketing Firms – Your Online Video Is Allowed to Express Your Individuality

Other articles you may be interested in:

The Space Between Center Rejuvenates the Creative Spirit of Legal Marketers

Are you tired of struggling to have the lifestyle you deserve and work with the entrepreneurial clients you enjoy?

Other articles you may be interested in: