The legal profession has a role in web expertise and social media. On September 18th, the students of the DAS Communication digitale program at the University of Geneva were treated to an exceptional class given by Florian Bessonnat, the Managing Partner of K-1 World, in which he explains the importance of knowing some legal aspects in digital communication. The program of the course included the framework of a legal communication, rules and laws for actors within the e-commerce area (a equally important subject in a context of shrinking staff/resources and increased investments). Law professionals already know of the duties of an attorney and counselor at law but they may not be familiar enough with the issues of digital communication. The students, as well as the honorable guests in attendance, were taught that there are certain basic things lawyers should know about the web. The issue of ethical communication was also discussed, in much the same way as the ethical rules that govern lawyers in most countries and how those rules are not so different from the communication rules in the digital world.
The class touched on the legal advice given to clients regarding their use of web communication and marketing tools. The use of web communication to market the services of lawyers was also discussed and Florian, who is also known as a web marketing and communication specialist, presented the case studies of lawyers who put their expertise in digital communication to good use in order to grow their own business, something quite not so easy for a profession that calls for some significant investment in order to be present on multiple digital fronts. The conclusion of the course was that like it or not, lawyers and web communication go together. Lawyers have to:
For more information on the ethical responsibilities of lawyers, you can visit the American Bar Association.