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Proof I Wasn't at the Mall Today

By Lynne DeVenny

Today I got to do something I hardly ever get to do (outside of the office). In the words of one of my paralegal homies, I got to "school" an auditorium full of brand new attorneys at the North Carolina Bar Association's Practical Skills Course 2010.

But I get "schooled" too when I speak to large groups, and today was no exception. My topic was "Social Media 101 for Lawyers," and as those of you who love your social media know, that's a topic that should be covered over several days - and not in one hour. My main goal was to introduce basic social media venues, as I do in my presentations to paralegals, including but not limited to (don't you just love legalese), LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and blogging, and to encourage the attendees to use the resources that best suit their practices and personalities. Because none of it works if you don't enjoy it.

Anyway, I learned that Above the Law is the social media prom king and queen (big show of hands when I asked if they read it), and Twitter is still a foreign country that most people think they don't want to visit because the water might not be safe to drink (pretty sure it was less than five hands when I asked who was using it). I tried to encourage them by telling them that my boss has just joined Twitter, but likely didn't help my cause when I also had to admit he hasn't actually tweeted yet. (That's on my Top 10 Social Media Tips, "NOW TWEET SOMETHING!")

I encouraged the attendees who want to know more about social media for legal professionals to read Nicole Black and Carolyn Elefant's extraordinary resource, Social Media for Lawyers: The Next Frontier (American Bar Association, 2010), and to play to their own strengths.

I also told them to read every single post that North Carolina family lawyer, Lee Rosen, has ever written at Divorce Discourse, and to grab him on Saturday and pick his brain after he presents his very popular session, "60 Web Sites in 60 Minutes," with Stephanie Kimbro and Erik Mazzone. (Sorry, Lee. Er, for telling them to grab you, not for telling them to read your blog.)

I was really thrilled to discover my blue sweater matched the blue podium banner, making me look like Smurfette from certain angles. Then toward the end, I lost my voice and had to gasp for water, not the smoothest public-speaking moment ever. I wanted to tell them I'm much funnier in writing than in person.

Anyway, here's proof that I wasn't at the mall in Raleigh all day:

I also welcomed them to the wonderful world of the law. I hope it's good to them. It's sure been good to me.

Related Post: The Truth About Social Media Experts

Full post as published by Practical Paralegalism on September 15, 2010 (boomark / email).