Evolving Online Conduct for New Jersey Lawyers
Date: Oct 31, 2025 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Location: Online
Member Price: $143.00
Non-Member Price: $179.00
Section Price: $0.00
Areas of Law: Ethics
Earn up to 2.4 credits, including 2.4 in Ethics! (More Information)
Keynote
Moderator
Presenters
- Hillary Horton, Esq.
- Counsel To Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, Supreme Court of New Jersey
- Ryan J. Moriarty, Esq.
- Assistant Ethics Counsel & Statewide Ethics Coordinator, Office of Attorney Ethics, Trenton
- Bruce S. Rosen, Esq.
- Vice Chair To the Committee on Attorney Advertising
Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, P.C., Hackensackis a Partner in Pashman Stein Walder Hayden, P.C. in Hackensack, New Jersey. He has been a media lawyer for more than 25 years, following a career as an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. He has been associated with high-profile First Amendment litigations related to free speech, media law (including defamation, access to courts and open public records) and religious freedom. More recently, Mr. Rosen has been involved with crisis management, web defamation, workplace privacy, appropriation of image and data theft. He also represents public corporate clients as well as individuals who own and/or manage private businesses, and has extensive experience in complex and standard commercial litigation, including employment litigation and counseling, environmental law and insurance coverage, business disputes, class action defense and public-school issues, as well as web defamation, workplace privacy, appropriation of image and data theft.
Mr. Rosen is admitted to practice in New Jersey, New York and the District of Columbia, and before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey and the Eastern, Northern, and Southern Districts of New York; the United States Court of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits; and the United States Supreme Court. A Fellow of the American Bar Foundation, he is a member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Committee on Attorney Advertising, the Association of the Federal Bar of New Jersey, the Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers-NJ and the Editorial Board of the New Jersey Law Journal. Mr. Rosen is a founding member of the New Jersey Media Lawyers Association, has been a member of the Defense Counsel Section of the Media Law Resource Center and is Past Chair of the Media Law Committee of the New Jersey State Bar Association. He is a former member of the New Jersey Supreme Court Criminal Practice Committee and serves on the United States District Court Criminal Justice Act Panel.
Professor Rosen has been an adjunct professor of Law and Mass Communications for Rutgers University School of Law-Newark since 2003. His articles have appeared in the New Jersey Lawyer, the New Jersey Law Journal and other publications, and he has lectured for a number of organizations and CLE providers.
Professor Rosen received his B.S. from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and his J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law, where he served as an editor of the Seton Hall Legislative Journal. He clerked for the Honorable H. Lee Sarokin, United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, in Newark, New Jersey.
Ethics, Boundaries, and Professionalism in the Social Media Era
In a world where lawyers are Googled before they’re called, your online presence is part of your professional record. Social media platforms, messaging apps, and even online reviews have blurred the line between personal and professional communication.
This program is not about mastering the latest technology – it’s about mastering yourself in public digital spaces. Drawing on real disciplinary cases, judicial examples, and emerging online norms, we’ll explore how the Rules of Professional Conduct apply in a 24/7, shareable, and searchable environment.
Through highly relevant scenarios and ethics guidance, you will sharpen your skills on how to:
- Avoid unintentional breaches of confidentiality in online settings
- Maintain professionalism while still being authentic online
- Market your services without crossing ethical lines
- Set boundaries that protect both your clients and your reputation
Whether you post daily or almost never, you’ll leave with a practical framework for protecting your license, your reputation, and your relationships in an increasingly transparent world.
Program Agenda:
9:00 | Welcome and The New Digital Reality for Lawyers
The internet never forgets, and neither do clients, colleagues, or disciplinary authorities. We’ll start with the current state of online conduct among New Jersey lawyers – and why it’s more than just “being careful.”
- Why online conduct is a core ethics concern in New Jersey
- The gap between what lawyers think is “private” and how it’s perceived publicly
- How rapid platform evolution creates new risk points
9:15 | Disciplinary Actions and Lessons from the Field
Review recent examples of cases in New Jersey and elsewhere about where the boundaries lie and how they get crossed.
- Overview of disciplinary actions involving online behavior by lawyers and judges
- Key warning signs from case outcomes in other jurisdictions
- The social media-in-chambers example and similar professionalism breaches
- How slow-moving discipline still delivers lasting reputational consequences
9:40 | Confidentiality, Boundaries, and Professionalism in Digital Spaces
What you share, even indirectly, can be interpreted as revealing client matters or showing bias. This segment tackles how to safeguard both your obligations and your public image.
- Applying confidentiality rules to public posts, “private” groups, and DMs
- Avoiding improper online contact with witnesses or adversaries
- Risks of posting anonymized client information
- Why even “likes,” comments, or emoji reactions can be viewed as endorsements
10:05 | Online Marketing and Advertising Ethics
Your marketing message should inspire confidence, not an ethics investigation.
- New Jersey advertising rules as they apply to social media and websites
- Ethical issues in keyword advertising (including targeting adversary names)
- Avoiding puffery and unverifiable claims in online bios and posts
- Managing client reviews, endorsements, and testimonials within the rules
10:30 | Crisis Moments and Online Conduct
Lawyers face unique challenges when controversial issues dominate public discourse. We’ll explore strategies for responding – or not responding – while protecting both your license and your relationships.
- Recognizing when an online exchange risks escalating into an ethics issue
- Responding to inflammatory comments or false reviews ethically
- Handling client or case-related misinformation online
- The reputational impact of emotional or impulsive posts
10:50 | Key Takeaways and Q&A
We’ll close with practical, real-world steps to ensure your online conduct supports your professional goals.
- Five questions to ask before posting anything
- How to maintain a professional digital footprint in any forum
11:00 | Program Ends
Important Information About Our Events, Meetings, and More:
To secure your spot and receive important updates about our events, meetings, and other gatherings, such as schedule changes, remember to register in advance.
Digital Materials & Environmental Commitment: As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, unless otherwise noted, all seminar materials are provided as digital downloads. You can access these materials through:
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