Reid My Blog!

Coast to Coast on the Legal Talk Network

I haven't had a chance to blog about the Legal Talk Network, an interactive multi-media resource for lawyers.  LTN is a prime mover in the new era of Internet broadcasting--podcasting if you must.  It's really "on-demand" radio, allowing the listener to select their own content and play it at a time most convenient for them--a far more efficient use of time to learn. 

While I have been a listener for months, last week I had the privilege of being a guest on Coast to Coast, a weekly program hosted by attorneys, Bob Ambrogi and J. Craig Williams.  The program tackles topics of great interest to lawyers; recent editions address DNA evidence, tort reform, and the "Battle Over Blackberry".  I was pleased to talk with Bob and Craig about the business of law.  While the practice of law is a profession, a law practice is a business. The business of law continues to change, and lawyers must continue to remain aware of those changes and act accordingly.  As Will Rogers once said "Even if you're on the right track, you'll still get run over if you just sit there." Our discusssion is definitely worth 30 minutes of your time!

There are many other great programs for lawyers on the LTN, and more are added each week.  You can listen to any of them right from your desktop, or download to your MP3 for listening on the way home or anywhere you choose. Gotta love technology!

Professionalism Can't Be Emailed In

If you haven't yet received the email discussion between Massachusetts attorney Will Korman and his "almost" associate, Dianna Abdala, then take a look at this article in the Boston Globe. It seems that Ms. Abdala had a change of heart and decided not to work for Mr. Korman. She informed him of this fact via email late the night before she was to start work. It only gets worse from there. After several subsequent messages between them, Mr. Korman decided to email the discussion to a friend. From there the Korman-Abdala dialogue has circulated the Internet at speeds rarely seen unless nude celebrities or politicians are involved.

At the heart, this is a lesson in professionalism for all lawyers: Be a professional at all times; be courteous and civil to other lawyers, clients, and the public.  However, it is a lesson for everyone in the power of the Internet.  Be careful what you put in an email message. If Ms. Abdala transmitted the same message via letter, fax or voice mail, it would have revealed a similar message about her professionalism, but would not have been so easily forwarded to thousands of lawyers around the world.  Email is a convenient and powerful tool, but it can also come back and bite you on the career!