Cybertraps for Law Students

(and Young Lawyers)

Frederick S. Lane

1L Seminar SeriesVermont Law School

23 March 2011www.FrederickLane.c

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Lecture Overview

• Introduction• Intellectual Property Cybertraps• Electronic Communications Cybertraps• Blogging and Social Networking

Cybertraps• Electronic Investigation Cybertraps• Criminal Cybertraps• More Resources

www.FrederickLane.com

Introduction• Attorney,

Educational Consultant & Lecturer

www.FrederickLane.com

Introduction• Attorney,

Educational Consultant & Lecturer

• Author of 6 Books

www.FrederickLane.com

Introduction• Attorney,

Educational Consultant & Lecturer

• Author of 6 Books• Computer Forensics

Expert

www.FrederickLane.com

Introduction• Attorney,

Educational Consultant & Lecturer

• Author of 6 Books• Computer Forensics

Expert• 10 Years --

Burlington (VT) School Board

www.FrederickLane.com

Introduction• Attorney, Educational

Consultant & Lecturer• Author of 6 Books• Computer Forensics

Expert• 10 Years -- Burlington

(VT) School Board• Technology & Privacy

Specialist

www.FrederickLane.com

Introduction• Attorney,

Educational Consultant & Lecturer

• Author of 6 Books• Computer Forensics

Expert• 10 Years --

Burlington (VT) School Board

• Technology & Privacy Specialist

• Student Safety Advocate

www.FrederickLane.com

Intellectual Property Cybertraps

www.FrederickLane.com

• Academic Honesty• Copyright Infringement – Web sites– Text and/or images

• Trademark Infringement–Web site names, online IDs

• Identity Theft• Personal Intellectual Property Theft

www.FrederickLane.com

Electronic Communication Cybertraps

• A Duty of Confidentiality• There Is Only One Secure Form of

Communication• Electronic Communication Is Inherently

Insecure … and Ephemeral• Brevity Can Be Ambiguous• “Reply All” – and the Ethics of

Misdelivered Communications• When Will You Have Time to Think?

www.FrederickLane.com

Blogging & Social Networking Cybertraps

• What’s the Status of Your Online Brand?• Are Your Posts Protected by the First

Amendment?• Do Your Posts Reveal Client Information?• Do Your Posts Constitute the Practice of

Law?• Should You “Friend” Your Clients,

Opposing Counsel, Witnesses, Jurors, or Judges?

• Do Your Social Network Activities Constitute “Advertising”?

www.FrederickLane.com

Electronic Investigation Cybertraps

• You’re An Attorney, Not a Witness• Even If Information Is Publicly Available,

Someone Else Has to Retrieve It• The Actions of Your Investigator May Be

Imputed to You• Disclosure May Be Required Before

“Friending” an Investigative Target• Overlooking Online Material May Subject

an Attorney to Malpractice Charges

www.FrederickLane.com

Criminal Cybertraps

• Fraud• Theft of Trade Secrets• Misuse of Client Information/Evidence• Hacking• Prostitution and Solicitation for Sexual

Purposes• Solicitation of Minors• Child Pornography

www.FrederickLane.com

More Resources

• Professors and Law School• State Bar Associations• State Ethics Panels• American Bar Association• Search Engines:– “Attorney charged computer

____________”– “Lawyer ethics online”

Cybertraps for Law Students

(and Young Lawyers)

Frederick S. Lane

1L Seminar SeriesVermont Law School

23 March 2011www.FrederickLane.c

om