Biglaw Firms Can ‘Get Into Trouble’ If They Don’t Have Social Media Policies For Lawyers

Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.

You can comment on things as long as they’re not going to be detrimental to others or derogatory. It doesn’t prohibit people from speaking out; it cautions them to pause and think about the ramifications of what they are posting.

— Cari Brunelle, founding partner of law firm advisory Baretz+Brunelle, in comments given to the American Lawyer, in the wake of Perkins Coie’s decision to fire an associate who made social media comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Brunelle went on to say that social media policies “should be aligned with your firm’s values and culture so much that those who see your response think it makes perfect sense. When organizations don’t have a process that’s followed in every circumstance, their decisions can be driven by emotion instead. And that’s when they get into trouble.”

Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

The post Biglaw Firms Can ‘Get Into Trouble’ If They Don’t Have Social Media Policies For Lawyers appeared first on Above the Law.

Ed. note: Welcome to our daily feature, Quote of the Day.

You can comment on things as long as they’re not going to be detrimental to others or derogatory. It doesn’t prohibit people from speaking out; it cautions them to pause and think about the ramifications of what they are posting.

— Cari Brunelle, founding partner of law firm advisory Baretz+Brunelle, in comments given to the American Lawyer, in the wake of Perkins Coie’s decision to fire an associate who made social media comments about the death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Brunelle went on to say that social media policies “should be aligned with your firm’s values and culture so much that those who see your response think it makes perfect sense. When organizations don’t have a process that’s followed in every circumstance, their decisions can be driven by emotion instead. And that’s when they get into trouble.”

Staci Zaretsky is the managing editor of Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Bluesky, X/Twitter, and Threads, or connect with her on LinkedIn.