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Would you let a lawyer friend you on Facebook if you knew she was thinking of suing you?

Robert Ambrogi reports a Massachusetts Bar Association ethics committee says it's OK for lawyers to "friend" people on Facebook they've been hired to potentially sue - but only if they let them know why they want access to the friend-only info on their Facebook pages.

The opinion by the association's Committee on Professional Ethics only applies to people a lawyer knows are not yet represented by their own counsel.

At issue in the opinion was an inquiry from a lawyer concerning whether she may directly request access to non-public information on a potential adverse party’s Facebook page, in order to look for information pertinent to contemplated litigation, when the potential adversary is not represented by counsel.

Ambrogi provides a copy of the complete opinion.

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Comments

a lost cause as soon as grandparents signed up. Now if lawyers can "friend" someone it's definately over.

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That would be a creepy, creepy lawyer who would hopefully meet a bad end. This is a good reminder not to connect with anyone on social media who you do not explicitly trust, and to keep your privacy settings cinched up tight.

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U mean lawyers aren't sleazy? Seriously tho, I agree that this seems to invade personal space and is very creepy

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But why in the flying fuck would I let you be my friend on Facebook if I either a) don't know you or b) know you to be my enemy's lawyer???

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And they are banking on the stupidity of the masses.

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Even I know that, and I do not have, and I never have had, a Facebook account.

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Wonder what the lawyer was trying to find?

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This probably works a good percentage of the time. Lots of people seem to accept every friend request that comes over the transom and have zero filters.

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And, you know who the biggest culprits are, are adults. Ask any kid now a days and they'll tell you Facebook are for middleaged - old people. Sure, many still keep a profile but with Instagram, Snapchat and the like, they are leaving us old fogies behind on Facebook (I personally don't use it unless absolutely necessary).
I also find most adults act like idiots on facebook. While I find Facebook can be of good use and I have kept in touch with class reunions via facebook, a majority of it screams of desperation. Lets face it, too many people (who should know better) actually think Facebook friends are real and many substitue facebook friendships with real life.

The internet has opened a new world for us. It also has exposed what was once hidden, stupidity.

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Thus, one can make either intelligent use or unintelligent use of it. I find it often frustrating, but often useful -- so long as one remembers that any posting is ultimately totally public.

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