Revised November 1, 2020

The Social Media Policy for State Bar of Michigan Sections (Policy) applies to State Bar of Michigan (SBM) sections that maintain a social media presence. This Policy is intended to protect the brand identity of SBM and its sections.

I. Scope: SBM sections may use social media to communicate news and information relevant to their section.

II. Permissions: Sections must provide access to all of their social media accounts to the SBM director of communications.

III. Branding: Except as otherwise provided in subparagraph II(a), sections must use the latest version of their logo provided by the State Bar of Michigan as their primary visual identity on social media platforms (i.e., their profile photo).

1. While SBM prefers to maintain a single logo, sections that already have their own logos may continue to use them so long as the SBM logo appears at the top of any page and is larger and above the Section logo. 
2. Section logos may not be combined with the SBM logo and the SBM logo and the Section logo may not appear side-by-side

IV. Enforcement: SBM will not actively monitor sections’ social media accounts but will work with each section to promote enforcement of this policy. For violations of this policy or any Supreme Court rule, SBM bylaw, or SBM policy, SBM reserves the right to revoke the permission of a section to engage in social media or to use the State Bar of Michigan’s name and logo. Furthermore, for severe violations, SBM reserves the right under Rule 12 of the Supreme Court Rules Concerning the State Bar of Michigan to revoke a section’s affiliation with SBM. SBM may remove information or materials, in whole or in part, that it, in its sole discretion, determines is objectionable or in violation of this Policy.

V. Revisions: This Policy will evolve as new technologies and social media platforms emerge. The State Bar of Michigan reserves the right to modify, discontinue, or replace this Policy or any terms of this Policy. Notice of any change to this Policy will be sent to section chairs by electronic mail.

VI. Guidelines: To promote constructive dialogue, the following guidelines apply to all social media accounts officially affiliated with SBM:

1. Abusive, harassing, defamatory, threatening, or obscene language is not permitted. Administrators reserve the right to delete comments that are deemed inappropriate.
2. Do not use social media accounts affiliated with SBM to promote a product or service for commercial or personal gain.
3. Do not discuss or misuse proprietary or confidential information, always give people proper credit for their work, and follow all professional and ethical rules governing the disclosure of client information.
4. Correct errors quickly and, if appropriate, make it clear that you have corrected an error.
5. Always abide by the platform’s terms of use.