Speaking last week on The Lawyers Weekly Show, Ms Lozynski lamented that only when one undertakes a legal practice management course does such training arise. But all lawyers, she argued, need to be developing their skills on platforms including but not limited to Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram and Clubhouse, thereby creating visibility for their professional selves, in light of the “myriad benefits” that come with such a profile.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2020, “leadership and social influence” is one of the most important 10 skills professionals will need by 2025. In light of this, lawyers across the entire ecosystem need to be visible – particularly women, she argued.

“I practice living my legal life out loud. It allows me to connect on a one-to-many basis, which is one of the advantages of social media. It allows me to meet some really cool people. That then turns into some really great ideas and collaborations, and – ultimately – change,” she reflected.

Utilisation of social media, Ms Lozynski noted, is a great way to practise one’s networking, as “the principles are pretty much the same”.

“There’s an openness these days to responding to online requests, having a further conversation and collaborating, because it has become more ingrained and natural. It’s also great for businesses to amplify and showcase what they’re doing, because otherwise we simply may not know,” she advised.

“I’m always floored when I talk to law firms and they tell me about the things they’re doing. I say, ‘Why aren’t you sharing that? That’s fantastic’. That would be a really great recruitment point for law students and lawyers coming through the door.”

This is something she discovered as a general counsel, she added: “[Using social media] was fantastic for sharing company updates, which then led to partnerships which otherwise wouldn’t have surfaced. It’s led to some incredible dialogue and gaining access to people that otherwise would’ve been impossible to reach in a short period of time.”

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Such visibility is critical for innovation in law, Ms Lozynski continued.

“We can accelerate the momentum and pace of transformation if we all share a little bit more on social media because, when you talk to people one-on-one or in small groups, whether it’s virtually or face-to-face, there’s so much commonality between what people are going through, depending on where they sit in the legal ecosystem,” she said.

“I think the more that we normalise some of the challenges and the advantages around transformation in the profession, the more you demystify it.”

When asked how lawyers who are uncertain about best practice in leveraging social media can get started, she said “just get on there” and start experimenting.

“Work out the platforms that resonate with you. LinkedIn is core to professional presence. I post slightly different content on LinkedIn than I do on Instagram. Instagram obviously is highly visual, and I have a little bit more fun. It’s a bit more behind the scenes. I am on Twitter, but I don’t love being on Twitter,” she said.

“I know that I’ve only got finite time to spend on social media. So, I’m putting my energy where it feels more natural to me and I enjoy it.”

One won’t know, Ms Lozynksi said, until one gives it a go.

“I have conversations with many lawyers who will download an app, or they will sign up, and it will feel unfamiliar. And then they say, ‘Well, I’m on there, but it's all too hard’. Then they give up. When I say give it a go, I mean given at least a few weeks, but a few conscious weeks where you’re setting aside time to actually be on it, to familiarise yourself on it. When I joined Clubhouse, the first week I was totally lost, but I spent an hour a day mucking around on it, giving it a go, and now, I really enjoy it and I really love it,” she said.

Looking ahead to a post-pandemic world, Ms Lozynski submitted that developing one’s social influence has to be a more urgent priority for lawyers.

“It’s something we need to prioritise in the same vein as actually getting the job done. I don’t see it as something that is adjunct,” she concluded.

“I see it as part-and-parcel of being a lawyer today, and definitely the lawyer of tomorrow.”

The transcript of this podcast episode was slightly edited for publishing purposes. To listen to the full conversation with Anna Lozynski, click below: