Social media is pervasive in the personal and business routines of clients and their adversaries. It also touches every stage of litigation, from fact investigation to discovery to evidence submission. Lawyers can’t afford to overlook its value as a source of information and evidence.
While many lawyers have embraced social media, some are tempted to stick their heads in the sand rather than delving into the social media labyrinth. That’s dangerous. In October 2013, when Twitter filed its initial public offering, it revealed staggering numbers, including: 200 million active monthly users, 500 million average daily tweets and 2012 revenue of $316.9 million. Twitter is not alone—Facebook boasts 1.27 billion monthly active users and, according to its first-quarter earnings report in 2014, its estimated 2013 revenues were more than $7.82 billion. That’s billion with a “b.”
