LawyersUSA

Twitter is essentially micro-blogging based on a simple question: "What are you doing?" The site then allows the user just 140 words to answer.

Through Twitter, friends or colleagues can monitor these brief alerts, known as "tweets."

Originally used along the lines of Facebook status updates or away messages on America Online's instant messenger program, Twitter's potential for professionals has exploded in 2008, mostly due to the ease of using the site.

Shortly after graduating from the Oklahoma City School of Law, Chris Moander of the Moander Law Firm in Milwaukee signed up for an account on Twitter.com.

Within six weeks, the business attorney had added a host of new clients thanks to the site.

"I found that Twitter isn't full of teenagers or time-wasters," said Moander. "There is this whole demographic of local bigwigs, decision-makers, entrepreneurs, people who have an influence on economic life. That's an appealing demographic for me."

Using a combination of TweetDeck, an Adobe Air desktop program and the website www.Twitterlocal.net, Moander was able to seek out not only other business attorneys and potential clients in Milwaukee, but also discussion feeds.

Moander, 29, uses these avenues to search for people involved in landlord disputes and breach of contact matters, in which his firm specializes.

Good for marketing

Attorneys agree that Twitter is a great marketing tool.

Many are using tweets to update others on recent blog posts or syncing up with their social networking profile on LinkedIn.com, allowing people who view their LinkedIn page to see recent tweets.

Robert Ambrogi, a Rockport, Mass. lawyer and author of Legal Blog Watch, said Twitter can essentially be used as a small online public relations firm, for distributing news about a firm to a wide audience without the hassle of a press release.

"It's structured so that it's more like you're having a conversation with someone rather than shooting information at them," he said.

The conversational nature of Twitter distinguishes it from other social networking sites such as LinkedIn.

Clients can monitor their attorney through Twitter and follow him or her throughout the day. And if a client has a question about a case or legal issue, he can ask the attorney directly.

Matthew Burnett, the Project Coordinator for the Immigration Advocates Network, an online immigration assistance team and co-author of the legal technology blog, TechnoLa, said Twitter "blurs the personal and professional, something lawyers in particular struggle with."

"It has a humanizing effect on attorneys," said Burnett. "Blogs have shown that there is a good way to engage clients in the work an attorney is doing. What Twitter does is give more of a peer-to-peer benefit."

Using an application such as TinyTwitter or Twibble Mobile, attorneys can use Twitter on the go through their Blackberrys. IPhone users can use the application ThinCloud, or, in Finis Price's case, Twitterific.

Price, a Louisville, Ky. personal injury lawyer, keeps his IPhone close by during depositions just in case he needs a question answered about a particular law or term.

He said this is a common way for attorneys to use Twitter to get information quickly.

"I've seen tweets from some lawyer in Idaho who has a case from Kentucky, doesn't know the state laws here and knows about me through my Twitter network."

A complement to blogs

Twitter can be a good alternative for lawyers who don't have time to start and update a blog frequently.

For blog-savvy attorneys, Twitter can be used as a complement to an existing blog.

The difference between Twitter and a blog is akin to the difference between a haiku and a ballad, said Ambrogi.

"Blogging is such that you're trying to write a commentary and provide perspective," he said. "You can't really do that in a Twitter post. It's not intended as a replacement."

Questions or comments may be directed to the writer at: justin.rebello@lawyersusaonline.com