Tag Archive for: social networking

Florida Lawyers Assistance and Law Students

The Florida Lawyers Assistance website is a valuable tool for those lawyers and law students with drug, alcohol or psycholocial problems and criminal justice issues.  The following information appears on their website:

While not an agency of the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, FLA (Florida Lawyers Assistance) has developed a cooperative relationship with the staff of that agency and its members. That relationship includes education of board members regarding chemical and psychological impairments, treatments for the same, development of monitoring and probation protocols which permit admission of applicants with a history of impairment, orientation presentations at the various law schools, and a presentation by a Board member at the annual FLA Workshop in July.

The FLA article goes on to say that as a result of its acceptance of chemical and psychological impairments as treatable illnesses, the Board was one of the first in the U.S. to permit conditional admissions of applicants with a history of chemical dependency, psychiatric diagnoses, or criminal justice issues resulting from such conditions. The term “conditional admission” has no effect on an attorney’s scope of practice or authority, but only on the probationary terms with which the lawyer must comply for the period set by the Board. Such conditions may include attendance at a specified number of lawyer support or 12 Step meetings, monitoring by another attorney or mental health practitioner, and random urinalysis testing. The order of conditional admission is confidential, and conditional admittees are listed as “members in good standing” upon admission to The Florida Bar.

The FLA reminds us that the key to obtaining a recommendation for conditional admission if a history of chemical or psychological impairment exists is absolute honesty, candor, and completeness when preparing and filing the application for admission, together with a demonstration that the prior condition is being adequately addressed and treated (a relationship with FLA can be crucial in this regard). The Board is attempting to determine who you are based on your personal history, your undergraduate and law school experiences, and your preparation of the application. Demonstrating your present candor and honesty by providing everything on your application, including incidents about which you are embarrassed, or believe may jeopardize your chance of admission, or believe the Board will not discover, provides you with the best chance that a recommendation for a conditional admission will be authorized by the Board. Leaving something off the application in the hope the Board will not discover it (which it is guaranteed they will) makes almost certain that the recommendation will be against admission.

Applicants should be aware that the Florida Board of Bar Examiners has adopted a new policy of researching certain applicant’s social sites (Facebook, MySpace, etc.).

The Soreide Law Group, PLLC,  represents those seeking admittance to the Florida Bar, and existing lawyers, for both investigative hearings and formal hearings in front of the Florida Bar. For more information about our services please visit: www.floridabarhearing.com or call (888) 760-6552.

Will Social Networking Sites have an Adverse Affect on your Bar Application?

The Florida Board of Bar Examiners voted to review applicants’ social networking sites on a case-by-case basis, focusing on those who have demonstrated problem conduct in the past, reports the Florida Bar News.

A growing number of employers and agencies are surfing the Internet to access social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to look for adverse information about applicants.

The board plans to avoid an up-front request to all applicants for access, explaining in a report to the Florida Supreme Court that “in reaching this policy, the board reasoned that if applicants are required to provide access to their social websites, they are likely to delete any derogatory material before staff has the opportunity to review it.”

The following was taken from an article by Jan Pudlow in the Florida Bar News:

The Board of Bar Examiners did adopt the policy that investigation of social networking Web sites should be conducted for the following bar applicants:

• Applicants who are required to establish rehabilitation under Rule 3-13 “so as to ascertain whether they displayed any malice or ill feeling towards those who were compelled to bring about the proceeding leading to the need to establish rehabilitation;”

• Applicants with a history of substance abuse/dependence “so as to ascertain whether they discussed or posted photographs of any recent substance abuse;”

• Applicants with “significant candor concerns” including not telling the truth on employment applications or resumes;

• Applicants with a history of unlicensed practice of law (UPL) allegations;

• Applicants who have worked as a certified legal intern, reported self-employment in a legal field, or reported employment as an attorney pending admission “to ensure that these applicants are not holding themselves out as attorneys;”

• Applicants who have positively responded to Item 27 of the bar application disclosing “involvement in an organization advocating the overthrow of a government in the United States to find out if they are still involved in any related activities.”

Soreide Law Group represents those seeking admittance to the Florida Bar, and existing lawyers, for both investigative hearings and formal hearings in front of the Florida Bar. For more information about our services please visit: www.floridabarhearing.com or call (888) 760-6552.