If the U.S. government goes ahead with threats to shut down TikTok, the legal profession will suffer a loss. Some attorneys who use the popular social media platform say they like its ability to educate the public on legal issues, while others embrace its ability to help them generate name recognition.
TikTok has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a law that could ban the social media app. The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, signed into law in April, calls for TikTok’s Chinese owner to sell the application to an American company or face a shutdown. The law was prompted by concerns that TikTok is a security risk because it allows the collection of vast amounts of information on Americans.
Levow was urged to try TikTok by a fellow DWI lawyer, Kyla Lee of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, who has more than 102,000 TikTok followers.
Lee, who is with Acumen Law Corp., has posted some fun videos, such as the one where she and a fellow lawyer sing “Baby, I’m Fine to Drive” to the tune of “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” Her videos are a mix of information and entertainment.
“I would probably perform a lot better if I did more of my real-life contents and more videos of my dog. But my intention with TikTok is to educate the public and to make sure people are informed about their rights. That’s something I’m very passionate about. I had one video, I think it got over 3 million views, where I test ordinary things you would eat or drink, and see how they affect breathalyzers. So I did a breathalyzer test with sushi, and that one blew up. There are some things that I think people find more universally relatable,” Lee said.
Lee advises other attorneys who are trying TikTok to be patient, since it takes a while to build a following. In addition, lawyers on TikTok need to be congenial and interesting.
“People don’t go to TikTok for dry legal content of somebody sitting at their desk and explaining the law in a monotonous voice. They want to feel like they’re dealing with somebody who’s engaging with them on a human level. Be your authentic self,” she said.
