Just wondering, why did you bother adding the IANAL. You just don't want a fellow HNer to take the advice, run with it and possibly end up in trouble, or are you worried that someone will claim you as their lawyer, trace your IP and somehow end up messing with you?

Lawyers enjoy "advocate's immunity", while I as a mere ex-law student do not. If someone relies on my advice I may be on the hook in the case that it is wrong. My only defence would be "but your honour, I pointed out that I am not a lawyer".

It's tedious, but if there's one and only one thing that law taught me, it's a habit of professional paranoia.

Thanks for explaining. Interestingly do you know of any cases where someone had gotten in trouble giving such an advice over the internet?

Also, you mentioned that as an ex-law student you must be careful? Is there any special status associated with ever studying law that makes you more susceptible to such charges rather than say, if you had studied history or math?

> if there's one and only one thing that law taught me, it's a habit of professional paranoia.

You might make a good security researcher then ;-)

I'm not aware of any such cases, and no, law students are not afforded special status. However most freshers / 1Ls are repeatedly warned to keep. their mouths. shut. by the lecturers. In most professions, sophomorism is annoying bordering on cute; in law it's a potential fast track to ruination.

In short: To give unqualified advice, you must first be qualified.