By Brian Malcom 

We have written about how Twitter can get you fired.  We have written about how Twitter can get you hired.  Now, we are going to tell you about companies using social media to solicit applications and recruit candidates. 

CNNMoney.com discussed this new trend in a recent article.  The article tells the tale of companies using social media to advertise open positions and communicate with potential candidates, in lieu of more traditional means of advertising a job opening.  "Posting ads on job search sites like Monster.com could mean spending hundreds of dollars -- and precious hours poring over resumes. In contrast, social media tools are mostly free and offer added value: Candidates bring their own online networks, blog content and references, which speeds up the interview process." 

If you haven't already switched over to Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or Craigslist to search for job listings, or if you haven't seen something shiny off in the distance and become otherwise distracted, let's discuss how this might affect young lawyers or law students.  In honor of Twitter, I will try to do so in 140 characters or less. Here goes:

Firms may use web 2.0 to find legal talent. Toss the classifieds. Get a laptop and PDA. Follow firms on web 2.0 sites, and look for job listings. Times are changing.