Managing E-mail

I see so many firms still fumbling with e-mail.  Really, it’s not because these firms aren’t capable of managing their e-mail efficiently nor is it because they’re not savvy enough.  No, it’s really because they are too complacent.  They don’t care about their e-mail until something doesn’t work.  Then, because e-mail is so essential for law firms these days, they need it resolved right away.  Consequently, I thought I would recommend a few tips for managing what has become a staple for law firms for communicating effectively with clients – e-mail. 

• Host your own e-mail.  Years ago there were some advantages to having your ISP host your e-mail, but those advantages have disappeared.  Internet access is robust enough to handle e-mail, it fails rarely, spam solutions are very affordable, and remote access to e-mail is better than what your ISP can provide you.  Plus, you get the added benefit of backing up your e-mail.  Truly, if your firm has more than 5 staff, you should host your own e-mail.  You’ll like it much better that way. 
• Back it up properly.  For those firms that are already hosting their own e-mail please make sure your backups are capable of restoring a single e-mail.  Some backup software can restore e-mail, but only on a global level – all or none.  This poses a huge problem if the managing partner needs a single e-mail restored.  Windows built-in backup software doesn’t allow nearly the flexibility dedicated backup software like Backup Exec does.  Test your e-mail restore capabilities – you’ll be glad you did. 
• Archive old e-mails.  Okay, this idea is contrary to the way most attorneys operate, I know.  But do you really need those e-mails from 1999?  Probably not.  I like to save a lot of my e-mail too, but there is a point of no return.  Archiving annually at the very least is recommended.  And if you’re a larger firm (50+ staff), you’ll need to archive much more often than that.  You’re e-mail will run much smoother and your IT administrator/consultant will be much happier. 
• Organize your e-mail.  Assign your e-mails to the case/matter/person they are related with.  Today, most case management and document management systems provide this functionality quite nicely, but even if your firm isn’t using either of those systems, e-mail programs today allow you to organize your e-mails into folders, topics, etc.  Try it.  It makes it much easier than searching through your inbox for 10 minutes at a time. 

Okay, those are some very basic tips for sure, but they’re actions I don’t see most firms taking today.  I urge you to try them though because nothing is more frustrating than having your e-mail down.  Law firms today just can’t afford it.