Social Media

The courthouse steps were jammed with reporters and cameramen trying to get an early quote from the silent and sullen-looking celeb.

Another cautionary tale about a lawyer's ill-advised use of social media.

Because some lawyers don’t appreciate that they’re representing the profession in everything they do, here are some guidelines for you to use on Facebook.

Who do you need to know to up your game? Being a lawyer or other professional is a constant and never-ending learning experience.

What has technology wrought in the legal profession? It has changed so much that it’s hard to count all the ways.

Legal technology is not about having transparent touchscreen monitors or fancy algorithms; it's about finding ways to work more efficiently so you can spend more time focusing on substantive things and less time doing mundane tasks.

* Fear eroding free speech rights is as dangerous as you might imagine. [Huffington Post]

* Remembering the space strike — this day in history. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]

* Lawyers are smart, but not smart enough to avoid being scammed. [American Lawyer]

* On the societal import of lawyers. [Guile is Good!]

* Remembering the humor Joe Jamail left us with. [Coverage Opinions]

* Social media is changing the nature of evidence at trial. [Global Legal Post]

Who might be behind this popular and anonymous Twitter feed?

Legal technology columnist Jeff Bennion offers tips on how to develop a good Facebook business page for lawyers.

What does the government have to say in defense of the allegedly tweeting judge?

Twitter is a powerful business development tool when used strategically and effectively. Twitter lists are a powerful way to do so.

Do you think this judge crossed the line in his use of social media?

Social media brings us a whole new world.

Lawyers and law firms would be well-advised to learn how to build a social network on Facebook -- and then how to use video to build relationships and a reputation.

Everyone loves to tweet, but try not to flout court rules while doing so.

* A person of interest in the shooting of Texas Judge Julie Kocurek has been apprehended and arrested — not for the shooting, mind you, but for a completely unrelated crime. Judge Kocurek continues her steady recovery after being seriously injured not by a bullet, but by shrapnel and glass. [Austin American-Statesman]

* Barnes & Thornburg partner Vincent “Trace” Schmeltz may be sanctioned for tweeting pictures that he took of the evidence that was presented during a trial. He claims he didn’t see the huge sign outside the courtroom prohibiting “photographing, recording or broadcasting.” [Chicago Tribune via ABA Journal]

* Schneiderman, Schneiderman! Bans sports-betting wherever he can! New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a cease-and-desist order against DraftKings and FanDuel, saying the daily fantasy sites constituted illegal gambling. [New York Times]

* Dentons finally formalized its merger with Dacheng Law Offices yesterday, thus making it the official largest law firm in the world. At 6,600 lawyers strong, just think about how many scandals we’ll be able to cover in 2016. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* According to the Diversity & Flexibility Alliance, more women are being welcomed into the ranks of partnership at major firms. Out of 118 firms, women made up 34.4 percent of new partner classes. Let’s celebrate that less-than-50-percent benchmark! [WSJ Law Blog]

* Fred Auston Wortman III, the Tennessee attorney who tried to murder his estranged wife, Staci, by lacing her toothpaste with poison, and later hired an inmate to do the deed after his plan failed, has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. [Commercial Appeal]

* Here are three ways you can balance your law school applications with your college responsibilities, but to be honest, if you’re having trouble balancing these things, then perhaps you don’t belong in law school. [Law Admissions Lowdown / U.S. News]

If you want to use social media to get more clients or to be more visible, there are rules to follow, as technology columnist Jeff Bennion explains.

* On Friday night, Judge Julie Kocurek, the presiding felony judge for Travis County, Texas, was shot outside her home. Her condition has been upgraded from critical to stable, and some say that she may have been a target of retaliation. We may have more on this terrible news later today. [American-Statesman]

* Apparently it takes podcast stardom to get a post-conviction hearing these days: A Maryland judge has agreed to reopen the case against Adnan Syed, the man whose murder conviction received an in-depth look during the first season of “Serial.” [CNN]

* Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the legal sector added 700 jobs in October, bringing the industry to its highest level of employment all year. Don’t get too excited — we’re still a long way from reaching pre-recession era glory. [Big Law Business / Bloomberg BNA]

* It took almost 10 years without putting anyone to death, but California has finally proposed a one-drug alternative to its three-drug lethal injection protocol after it was struck down as unconstitutional in 2006. Was this worth the wait? [WSJ Law Blog]

* Following a much-deserved public excoriation from our very own Elie Mystal, Mizzou Law’s Student Bar Association has decided to do away with its absurd social media policy. In a media statement, the SBA even agreed that it was “poorly written.” [Huffington Post]

You won't believe what this juror said about the trial she was on -- mid-trial.

This is the worst social media policy that you've probably ever seen.