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Lawyers Weekly
A survey of third-year law school students in the US has revealed that almost half (49 per cent) have seen something on someone else's Facebook page that could potentially get the poster in…
A survey of third-year law school students in the US has revealed that almost half (49 per cent) have seen something on someone else's Facebook page that could potentially get the poster in trouble with the law.
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The Kaplan PMBR Bar Review survey revealed that 44 per cent of respondents said the person posting the material was either a law student or lawyer.
Meanwhile, 76 per cent of the 428 survey respondents said that their legal knowledge had actually caused them to modify what they posted on Facebook.
"The fact that nearly half have seen something illegal posted on Facebook doesn't mean that we are a society of criminals. Illegal activity can mean minors drinking beer or someone smoking a Cuban cigar," said Steven Marietti, executive director of academic programs, Kaplan PMBR Bar Review.
"But also given their stage of professional development, law students tend to be particularly aware of the finer points of the law, in the same way that medical students can sometimes be hypochondriacs. Regardless, it's smart to be cautious, since what you post on Facebook can potentially be held against you when coming before the bar or in court."
A Kaplan survey of law school admissions officers conducted in 2010 revealed that close to 20 per cent had visited an applicant's social networking site in order to help them evaluate that applicant.
