New York to consider social media rules

Since the ABA adopted a comment to Model Rule 1.1 on competence as it relates to "technology" there has been a lot of discussion (and literature) on the new meaning of the concept of competence.  See here, here, and here for some podcasts on the subject.

Now, the New York State Bar Association is taking action.  The ABA Journal is reporting today that, later this week, the NYSB house of delegates will discuss whether to adopt new legal ethics rules addressing appropriate social media practices by lawyers. The proposed rules would require lawyers to keep copies of communications with clients on social media, would hold lawyers responsible for correcting inaccurate or misleading information and would allow lawyers to do online research on public portions of social media profiles. 

Applying the gist of the comment added to the Model Rules, the guidelines reportedly state that “[a] lawyer cannot be competent absent a working knowledge of the benefits and risks associated with the use of social media.”