Next week, MyLegal.com will be producing The Case for Social Media conference to assist lawyers in "Managing Your Online Presence To Build Your Law Practice". Whether you're arriving late or haven't quite figured out what to do and how to do it ethically and effectively, it's still not too late to get in the game. The conference will be held Thursday, October 21st at the Georgetown University Hotel & Conference Center in Washington D.C. If you aren't able to make it onsite, the conference will also be streamed live on the internet via SMASH Technology (read more here), although registration fees still apply. The live stream of the sessions, along with the tweets, photos, blogs and chat-box conversations related to the conference, will be displayed on one landing page. After the conference the video of the sessions, along with the speaker presentations, will be available on MyLegal.com. 

Georgetown University Law students will be on hand throughout the day to assist attendees in setting up social media accounts, learning how to tweet and downloading Smartphone apps. Also, to facilitate onsite networking, all on-site attendees of the conference will be given their own Poken device when they arrive. When two Pokens touch, digital identification information is exchanged, including a photo, name, address, telephone number, email address and links to various social networks, including MyLegal.com, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. The unique Poken ID is connected to a social business card that every attendee creates on the Poken website. Each Poken holder can enter contact information and links to his/her social networks. All contacts that you’ve made at the conference can be uploaded when the event is over, and they will appear on your “social timeline,” which is a complete record of everyone you meet at the conference. 

Below is information on the sessions and speakers. InsideLegal will be onsite covering the event so stay tuned. Register at the conference site and enter the promotion code "InsideLegal" to receive a special rate of $195 for each attendee.

SESSIONS AND SPEAKERS INCLUDE:

Getting the Most Out of Avvo – Conrad Saam
Within three years, Avvo went from concept to market leader, surpassing established brands like Martindale as the definitive resource for people to get information and guidance for their specific legal needs.  Avvo is very new, very different, very web 2.0, and many attorneys have questions about how it works.  Lawyers who attend this session will learn where the information on Avvo comes from; what impacts the rating (and what doesn’t); how Avvo monitors client reviews; and how to gain visibility through an Avvo profile.

Social Media for Lawyers – Carolyn Elefant, Esq. and Nicole Black, Esq.
From Facebook to Twitter, from LinkedIn to Avvo, from Justia to JDSupra, social media can be a tremendously effective tool for building your legal practice. Here’s what you need to know before jumping in. Discover which online professional/legal directories are most effective in helping you achieve your professional goals. Learn which social media platforms make the most sense for your practice, based upon your areas of practice, geographical location and your “online personality.” Plus, hear the pros and cons of using free or lawyer-specific platforms.

Social Media: Ethical, Compliance, E-discovery and Liability Implications – Sharon Nelson, Esq. and John Simek
For legal professionals, the social media waters are still murky from an ethical standpoint. Our experts will help you safely navigate them. Lawyers and their clients often fail to recognize that they have a duty under compliance laws to preserve data. Learn more about preservation and production duties during e-discovery – and how to plan for them ahead of time. Get valuable information on how to avoid worst-case scenarios including trade disparagement, discrimination, defamation and even bar disciplinary actions.

Business Development with LinkedIn – Larry Bodine, Esq.
LinkedIn can be a potent business development tool, affording lawyers a unique, cost-efficient opportunity to make new contacts and turn them into face-to-face meetings. But simply putting up a profile and forgetting about it won’t do the trick. Business development expert Larry Bodine will discuss a variety of practical LinkedIn techniques that you can apply to your practice, including the most strategic ways to identify and join the right groups, participate in relevant discussions and send effective messages to key contacts.

The Use and Protection of Trademarks in Social Media Marketing – Matthew Asbell, Esq.
Establishing a strong online brand is increasingly critical to business success for solo practitioners and law firms, as well as their clients. Protecting that brand is equally important. In this insightful session you will learn how to protect your brand equity, how to encourage and control your employees’ use of your brand, and how to advise your clients regarding their brands in the social media space, whether as usernames, in user or company profiles, or in posted content.

Start Bringing in Business with Social Media – Adrian Dayton, Esq.
Tired of social media 101 presentations? Time to dive a little deeper. This session will cover case studies from some of the most innovative law firms in America as well as advice on maximizing your time with your social media tool-kit (bit.ly, Tweetdeck, and scheduled updates), power blogging tactics and targeted content distribution techniques and various strategies for measuring your ROI and setting appropriate benchmarks for success.  We will also look ahead to what technology is on the horizon.

Social Media and the Law – Steve Crandall, J.D.
Lawyers are now using new media platforms to deepen their professional networks and to demonstrate their knowledge and proficiency.  Learn how to create a winning profile and discover the most effective ways to showcase your expertise using social media tools. Find out the best practices to improve search engine optimization (SEO) and the quality of online leads. Plus, gain valuable insight on how to guard your online reputation and the ethics surrounding social media.