This article looks at the risks around lawyers' professional
and "private" communications, and some recent cases in
which the tone and/or content of a lawyer's communications have
attracted regulatory sanction.
This feels particularly relevant now, given that the way in
which lawyers work and interact with clients, colleagues,
opponents, and the wider world has changed drastically in the last
few months. People are working from home, communication has moved
online to an unprecedented degree and the boundaries between
professional and private life have further been blurred. Many will
be facing challenges in their personal lives which impact upon
their working environment, and many will be feeling increased
levels of stress, which may impair their judgment. These
circumstances, alongside the fact that exchanging messages and
sharing opinions online has never been easier, have only increased
the risks around the ways in which lawyers communicate and
therefore the
