Texas Judge Uses Facebook, Explores Social Media Ethics for Judiciary, Lawyers

ABA Journal profiles Susan Criss, a Galveston, Texas Facebook user and State Court Judge:

The judge's near-breathless accounts of questionable online activity by members of the bench and bar had many in the audience wondering whether Facebook, Twitter and their ilk are worth the headache.

To Criss, there's no going back. With self-imposed ground rules—no politics, no blogging about cases—she's steaming right ahead.

... Criss said she’s the first to admit these social networks are new to her, but her ground rules are simple. She follows her ethical canons and is careful about what she says and who she friends. Yes to all lawyers—to avoid an appearance that she favors one side over another. Friending the general public is trickier. So far, she's been more selective.

As for whether the ABA needs to address social media in its Model Rules, she and other panelists said no. “The rules are pretty good,” Criss said. That’s not to say that the ABA shouldn’t explore new media and its impact on lawyers, judges and the law.

“The medium is always going to change,” she said. “We need to always adapt.”

- Garry J. Wise, Toronto

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