Like and Follow — Keeping up With the Law on Social Media

Are you on Insta? Facebook? X (formerly known as Twitter)? TikTok? LinkedIn? Snapchat? If you have a portable electronic device, the answer is probably yes. In fact, statistics show that in 2024, social media platforms counted over five billion users worldwide following more than 45 million professional online content creators. If you have an interest, someone is probably posting about it.

For this blog post, we venture into the #Lawfluencer, #LegalNews, #Justice4All, and #LegalResearch spaces to find some fun and informative law-related socials to consider adding to your following list. Our intent is to show what’s available in the social-sphere and inclusion here is not an endorsement of the views expressed by their creators.

#Lawfluencers

When UK Solicitor Amelia Patton faced discrimination related to dyspraxia and autism in her search for a position in a law firm, she set up an Instagram page to document and talk about her experience. The overwhelming response was the catalyst for her podcast and organization, the Neurodivergent Lawyer Project. The ND Project brings together aspiring, junior, and senior-level lawyers who are neurodivergent and neurotypical for the purpose of educating the legal community and creating a more inclusive and tolerant profession. Along with the official ND Project Instagram, you can follow Amelia herself on LinkedIn.

Mike Mandell is a California attorney who uses his social media platforms to educate followers about various legal topics using entertaining video clips. Topics include how to legally get flight upgrades, whether or not you can sue your barber for a bad haircut, “when they’ve got the wrong guy,” and civil forfeiture, to name a few. He is currently the most followed lawyer on TikTok and his Instagram following is over a million. Mike’s content is also available on Snapchat.

In 2019, lawyer Haben Girma published her autobiography, detailing her experience as the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. As detailed in her book, “She developed a text-to-braille communication system that created a new way to connect with people. Pioneering her way through obstacles, Girma graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities.” Haben posts social media content to over 200,000 followers on Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.

Texas personal injury attorney Jefferson Fisher decided to turn his social media platforms from a place to solicit potential clients to an avenue for teaching followers how to deal with the conflicts and difficult conversations that can often pop up in legal practice. Fisher’s “no frills” content style has attracted nearly five million Instagram followers and over a million followers on TikTok.

#LegalNews and #LegalResearch

When the Supreme Court issues an opinion, many rush to SCOTUSblog to get the analysis of the ruling. Analyses are generally posted the same day and they provide a comprehensive breakdown of the issues and holdings. The SCOTUSblog team has also started posting their content on TikTok and Threads (an Instagram app), where they have over 300,000 followers.

You can also stay up to date with what’s happening at the Washington State Supreme Court by following their social media channels on Facebook and LinkedIn. The Court also recently started a podcast, with the first episode covering Therapeutic Courts. Episodes are posted to the Court’s YouTube channel.

Washington Courts Report is the official podcast of the Administrative Office of the Courts featuring the work happening in Washington State Courts

For international law reported by law students, Jurist News is available on multiple platforms, including LinkedIn, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Legal headlines can also be found on news services such as The National Law Review, who posts on X, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

#Justice4All

Social media can also be a very useful tool to put you in touch with legal aid organizations, such as Northwest Justice Project (NJP), the authors of the website Washington Law Help. NJP has accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok.

Here are a few more examples of legal aid organizations posting online:

· Disability Rights Washington: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

· Lavender Rights Project: Facebook, Instagram

· Legal Voice: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn

· Northwest Immigrant Rights Project: Facebook, X

We can’t close out this post without encouraging you to check out OUR social media accounts. The Washington State Law Library posts new content daily on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. One of the best reasons to follow us is to stay up to date and informed about library services.

We haven’t even scratched the surface of all of the legal content available on social media. To find more accounts, try using the above hashtags in the search function of your favorite platform. Happy scrolling! (LE)