Social Media Marketing for Attorneys an Oversight Nightmare?

Does the intersection of social media and internet marketing for attorneys and lawyers create management and oversight headaches for law firms?  Last week, I moderated a panel discussion at the Utah State Bar's Fall Forum on new media, social media, social networking and e-marketing.  Following the panel, an attendee who works in IT and knowledge management confided in me that services like Twitter and Facebook would create nightmares of logistical control from the standpoint of overseeing lawyers' content, controlling the expression of opinion, maintaining continuity of a company or law firm's marketing message, and maintaining control of branding.  Thus, the attendee was not a proponent of having those within his company participate in social media.

While I think the attendee raises an important point, I disagree with his concern about overseeing lawyers' social media campaigns.  Law firms generally have a marketing strategy and marketing message.  However, individual lawyers need to have their own strategic marketing plans to promote their individual services and expertise.  Thus, if a lawyer in a law firm is permitted to publish articles in law journals or to make presentations outside of the firm without firm oversight, that same lawyer should likewise be permitted to participate in social media without law firm oversight.

Being connected on the Internet is similar to being connected off-line.  Granted, there is a more permanent record of content on the Internet, but lawyers should be savvy enough to avoid the same pitfalls they would avoid off-line.  Social networking for lawyers need not be "overseen" by a law firm, just like off-line networking for lawyers need not be "overseen."  Granted, law firms could consider online social networking policies for their lawyers, but formal oversight would be both unnecessary and counter-productive.

What are your thoughts about whether law firms should be overseeing the social media and social networking efforts of their lawyers?  Please feel free to comment below.