All of the judicial ethics committees that have issued opinions on the subject have advised that judges’ use of social media is not inherently and inevitably inconsistent with ethical standards, but all have also warned judges to proceed cautiously while socializing on the Internet. (The American Bar Association Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has also weighed in on the issue in a recent opinion on judicial ethics. See Briefs in this issue at page 245.) Some warnings from ethics committees are good advice for all social media users: for example, remember that online communications are much more public and permanent than offline conversations and be familiar with social networking site privacy controls. Other warnings emphasize the unique role of judges that requires them to accept restrictions on their conduct that non-judges would consider burdensome even as they take advantage of the latest technology to engage in the very human desire to connect and communicate.
AJS [American Judicature Society] - AJS Editorial
