Kaplan PMBR Bar Review Survey: Law School Students Say Facebook Rife with Incriminating Evidence – And Many Say Peers Among the Offenders

According to a recent Kaplan PMBR Bar Review survey of third-year law school students*, nearly half (49%) report that they have seen something on someone’s Facebook page that could get the poster in trouble with the law. Surprisingly, 44% of that group said the alleged offender was a law school student or lawyer, begging the question: shouldn’t those who should know the law best know better?

On the plus side: 76% of survey respondents said that what they learned from their legal education has caused them to temper what they post on Facebook.

"The fact that nearly half have seen something illegal posted on Facebook doesn’t mean that we are a society of criminals. Illegal activity can mean minors drinking beer or someone smoking a Cuban cigar. But also given their stage of professional development, law students tend to be particularly aware of the finer points of the law, in the same way that medical students can sometimes be hypochondriacs,” said Steven Marietti, executive director of academic programs, Kaplan PMBR Bar Review. "Regardless, it’s smart to be cautious, since what you post on Facebook can potentially be held against you when coming before the bar or in court.”

Moreover, a 2010 Kaplan survey of law school admissions officers showed that nearly 20% had personally visited an applicant’s social networking site to help them evaluate that applicant – all the more reason for hyper-awareness.

For more on Kaplan’s findings around Facebook and other social media trends among today’s students, please contact Russell Schaffer at russell.schaffer@kaplan.com or 212.453.7538. For a host of other resources for journalists, please visit Kaplan’s online pressroom at http://press.kaptest.com and follow on Twitter: @KapTestNews

*The survey of 428 third-year law students was conducted by e-mail in March 2011.

About Kaplan PMBR Bar Review

Kaplan PMBR Bar Review (www.kaplanpmbr.com) provides full-service bar review programs in 25 states (Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Virginia) and Washington DC, making its courses available to more than 80% of the U.S. Bar-taking population. Additionally, Kaplan PMBR Bar Review offers preparation for the Multistate Bar Exam (MBE) in all 48 states that require it.

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