Another week has passed, and another group of people have started using new internet technology to connect with others and build business.  Hopefully, that group of people includes some lawyers.  Welcome to part 21 of our blog series on social media for attorneys.  This week we will focus on our youth, the up and coming lawyers in the world.

Technology has always been something that changes very rapidly, and today that is more true than ever, especially in the legal community.  Today’s law students will inevitably be more familiar with the possibilities that social media holds than older generations of lawyers.  So that means that this shift toward social media in the legal community should get a huge push as this generation of new lawyers make their way through the ranks.

This post, over at Social Media Law Student, shows that many of the country’s top Law Schools are getting involved on Twitter.  That is a step in the right direction, and one that should not go unnoticed.  As law schools realize that social media is a necessary part of branding and recruiting, they are realizing that the legal profession is headed the way of the rest of the world, online.  And their students already know this, so it should be no surprise to see a rise in interest from the schools themselves.

As these new “lawyers” graduate and join the ranks of those that came before them, the legal community will be in for an awakening.  This “new media revolution” which has started in other industries means a new way of doing things.  It provides new channels of communication, more efficient systems, and unique promotional opportunities.

With it will come a rise in new areas of the law that focus solely on the internet and communication.  New ethics rules will be written to handle communication by lawyers in the online world.  Big changes are coming, and it is this next generation of lawyers that will bring them to the forefront of the legal community.

In other industries, there has been resistance to this type of a change.  But in most cases, new technology and social media can not be fought, it is a natural movement toward the future.  And the law will be no different.  Acceptance of new media by major law firms, bar associations, and lawyers who are currently practicing will be the deciding factor in whether or not this transition is smooth or more complex.

Past Installments of this Series:
Part One – Intro to Social Media for Attorneys
Part Two – Signing up for the Networks
Part Three – Using Blogs as an Information Source
Part Four – Start Blogging Today
Part Five – Introduction to Twitter
Part Six – Introduction to LinkedIn
Part Seven – Networks as a Communication Tool
Part Eight – Submit Yourself to Blog Catalogs
Part Nine – Put Your PR Department to Work
Part Ten – Lend us your Comments
Part Eleven – Intro to Viral Marketing
Part Twelve – Answer Questions 2.0
Part Thirteen – The Big Picture
Part Fourteen – Interactions on Blogs
Part Fifteen – Interactions on Networks
Part Sixteen – Recruiting on the Networks
Part Seventeen – Promote Yourself to Get a Job
Part Eighteen – Video Resumes
Part Nineteen – Social Media on Social Media
Part Twenty – Blog Content is Vital