Misrepresentation in attorney’s LinkedIn profile leads to ethics sanctions

  December 19, 2016, the Office of Disciplinary Counsel of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued an order accepting a recommendation from the State’s Disciplinary Board to suspend an attorney for one year and one day for engaging in unauthorized practice of law. Among other counts, the Respondent allegedly maintained a LinkedIn profile representing to […]

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Lawyer who ignored client’s Facebook inquiries about his case received a 90-day suspension

  On April 27, 2017, the Nebraska Supreme Court ordered the suspension of an attorney from the practice of law for a period of 90 days followed by 1 year’s monitored probation. The Counsel for Discipline of the Nebraska Supreme Court filed formal charges against the attorney. According to the charges, the attorney had taken […]

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California federal court allows service of process on foreign defendant via Twitter

On September 30, 2016, a California federal court granted permission to serve process through Twitter on a foreign defendant. Plaintiff St. Francis Assisi (a non-profit corporation) sued the defendants Kuwait Finance House, Kuveyt-Turk Participation Bank Inc., and Hajjaj al-Ajmi (an individual) for damages and equitable relief arising from the defendants’ financing of the terrorist organization Islamic […]

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Chipotle’s social media code of conduct limiting employees’ posting found unlawful

On August 18, 2016, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) affirmed the administrative law judge’s (ALJ) ruling that Chipotle maintained an unlawful social media code of conduct that violated the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). Chipotle fired an employee shortly after he tweeted several times on employees’ working conditions and wages. Chipotle social media policy included […]

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New Mexico Supreme Court cautions judges to avoid impropriety and appearance of impropriety on social media

The New Mexico Supreme Court cautioned judges to “avoid both impropriety and its appearance in their use of social media”. Although the case concerns an asserted violation of the Confrontation Clause, it is interesting because Defendant also raised the issue of social media posts made by the district court judge during the pendency of the trial. […]

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As a juror, posting on Facebook can cost you $1,000

Queens Supreme Court Justice Ira Margulis found a juror in a robbery case she was presiding on in contempt of court and fine her $1000 for posting comments on Facebook during trial, in violation of an expressed order form the Court. The juror’s conduct resulted in a mistrial, because she could not be substituted. In particular the […]

Louisiana lawyer starting an online petition on a pending matter disbarred

A divided Louisiana supreme court disbarred a lawyer opinion who utilized the internet and social media to raise an on-line petition on a matter she litigated and to urge the public to contact two judges (i.e., the judge of the Louisiana proceeding and the one of the Mississippi proceeding). While the hearing board and the disciplinary board had recommended […]

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Deactivated social media accounts are discoverable and must be produced

In this personal injury case, the Eastern District Court of Louisiana issued a discovery order for the production of a deactivated Facebook account. These the facts: an employee sued his employer for an injury suffered on the job. However, the employer filed a request for production of the employee’s Facebook account claiming to have seen […]

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Louisiana disciplinary board recommends one year suspension for lawyer starting an online petition on a pending matter

On February 10, 2015, the Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board recommended a one year suspension for a lawyer who utilized the internet and social media to raise an on-line petition on a matter she litigated and to urge the public to contact two judges (i.e., the judge of the Louisiana proceeding and the one of the Mississippi proceeding). […]

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