Ethics Opinions

American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility   Topic: Confidentiality Obligations for Lawyer Blogging and Other Public Commentary   “Lawyers who blog or engage in other public commentary may not reveal information relating to a representation, including information contained in a public record, unless authorized by a provision of the Model Rules.” […]

Colorado Bar Association Ethics Committee   Topic: lawyer’s posting or sharing of materials   Conclusion of the Committee: “In many situations, making information obtained in the course of representing a client public is helpful, either to other lawyers or to educate the public. But client confidences must be respected. When a client gives informed consent to […]

In November 2016, the DC Bar Legal Ethics Committee issued Ethics Opinion 370 (Social Media I) and 371 (Social Media II), which address the use of social media by lawyers for marketing and personal use and for providing legal services. The two opinions aim at increasing awareness of the ethical issues generating from the increasing use […]

Opinion No. 371 of the District of Columbia Bar’s Legal Ethics Committee   Topic: Social Media II, Use of Social Media in Providing Legal Services   Conclusion of the Committee: “Social media, like other technology applicable to the practice of law, will continue to change. The principles explained in this Opinion should be applied to […]

Opinion No. 370 of the District of Columbia Bar’s Legal Ethics Committee   Topic: Social Media I, Marketing and Personal Use   Conclusion of the Committee: “Social media is a constantly changing area of technology. Social media can be an effective tool for providing information to the public, for networking and for communications. However, using […]

Topic: Attorney Advertising and LinkedIn   Digest: “An attorney’s individual LinkedIn profile or other content constitutes attorney advertising only if it meets all five of the following criteria: (a) it is a communication made by or on behalf of the lawyer; (b) the primary purpose of the LinkedIn content is to attract new clients to […]

List of ethics opinions around the country on social media and judges on National Center for State Courts: http://www.ncsc.org/Topics/Media/Social-Media-and-the-Courts/State-Links.aspx?cat=Judicial%20Ethics%20Advisory%20Opinions%20on%20Social%20Media

On September 22, 2015, the West Virginia Office of Disciplinary Counsel Legal Ethics issued a comprehensive opinion to provide the guidance for lawyers on the use of social media for both business and personal matters.  West Virginia Office of Disciplinary Counsel Legal Ethics Opinion 2015-02 Lawyer Disciplinary Board – L.E.O. 2015-02 The Disciplinary Board provided […]

On March 10, 2015, the New York County Bar Association (NYCLA) issued opinion Formal Opinion 748 to offer guidance on whether a lawyer can ethically maintain a LinkedIn profile and when it constitutes advertisement. According to the opinion, attorneys may maintain profiles on LinkedIn but they must ensure that all information and endorsements in their […]

Committee on Professional Ethics Topic: The ethical implications of attorney profiles on LinkedIn From the digest: “Attorneys may maintain profiles on LinkedIn, containing information such as education, work history, areas of practice, skills, and recommendations written by other LinkedIn users. A LinkedIn profile that contains only one’s education and current and past employment does not […]