Law School Grads Agree: Social Media Is 'Fair Game' For Employers

Careful what you post.

Should a prospective employer or the state bar use an applicant’s social media presence to decide whether the applicant should get a job or receive admission to the bar? It’s a thorny issue that lawyers of yesterday never had to deal with, but it seems there is a consensus among recent graduates.

According to a Kaplan Bar Exam survey of 700 law school graduates from the class of 2017, a full 78 percent of prospective lawyers think it is “fair game” for employers to use social media profiles in hiring decisions. Fewer think it is also acceptable for a state’s character and fitness board to use social media posts in determining who is admitted to the bar, but a clear majority — 66 percent — think it is acceptable.

Survey respondents feel pretty strongly about the issue too:

A person’s social media presence is an extension of who they are and who they want to be perceived as. You could have a completely capable candidate for a position who meets all of an employer’s qualifications on paper and in an interview, but if the person acts in a contrary manner on social media it can not only affect what potential clients think about the attorney, but also about the employer.

Professionalism does not stop at work. When you represent your company, especially within the legal field, you have a higher level to uphold. The best way to truly see a person is how they act on their personal page and majority of the time it shows their true character.

Tammi Rice, vice president of Kaplan Bar Review, cautions prospective esquires everywhere:

Our survey finds that tomorrow’s lawyers are not only fine with prospective employers and state bar examiners looking at their social media trails, but in many cases think it’s a good idea because it may be necessary to protect the legal professional and individual legal practices. We know that aspiring attorneys are not a shy group, but given that many of the people who might make or break their legal careers could be seeing what they post, it’s always better to err on the side of caution. We encourage a healthy exchange of ideas and the right to express yourself, but it’s not without risk when it comes to your livelihood. You don’t necessarily have to share everything.

So remember, feel free to post on social media, but you will be held responsible for what you write.

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headshotKathryn Rubino is an editor at Above the Law. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).

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