Saving Face - Ethical Considerations for American Judges Using Social Media

Abstract

This short article, which will appear as the Correspondent's Report from the United States in the journal Legal Ethics, reviews the ethics opinions issued by several states and the ABA addressing judges' use of social media. The Article first describes the helpful advice contained in these opinions concerning the unique characteristics and dangers of social media and then criticizes these opinions for failing to provide clear guidance on the most critical issues: whether judges may connect on social media with lawyers and others who may appear before them and whether such relationships must be disclosed to litigant.