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Solo, Small Firm, & Rural Section Listserv
Information and Guidelines
The SSFR listserv is sponsored by the Solo, Small Firm, & Rural Section of the Utah State Bar. Membership and participation in and with this listserv is limited to Utah Bar licensed attorneys.
Subscription Information:
To subscribe to the Estate Planning list, send an e-mail message to webmaster@utahbar.org with the following in the body of the message (not the subject):
subscribe solotalk
To unsubscribe from the list, send a message to webmaster@utahbar.org with the following in the body of the message (not the subject):
unsubscribe solotalk
If you are going to be away from your e-mail account and use an auto-response function to respond to e-mail in your absence, please remember to unsubscribe from this and other lists.
Participation:
To post a message that will be sent out to the entire list, send the message to solotalk@postmaster.utahbar.org. When you reply to a message you have received from the list, remember to check your addresses and make sure a private message is not sent to the list address. Likewise, if you do wish the reply to go to the entire list, make sure the list address is included.
Don’t neglect your independent research skills
- The SSFR listserv is intended to be a convenient means of communication among our membership on a wide spectrum of legal issues. Members who are new to Independent Legal Practice (which we all have been at some point) can tap into the deep well of knowledge and expertise of our more experienced members. In order for all members to get the very most from the listserv and to avoid rehashing certain issues that have either been discussed at length or which can be quickly resolved with minimal research, try the following before you post a query to the listserv:
- Take advantage of the resources you already have at your fingertips. See what you can find by searching Google, subscribe to any number of the solo practice legal blogs that exist, or look for other online sources of information that are often readily available;
- Once you determine that the issue is not one you can resolve quickly with a little independent research, go ahead and post your query to the listserv.
Don’t use an “Out of Office” auto reply when you travel
- If you’re going to be away for a few days and don’t want your inbox to be flooded, please unsubscribe from the listserv during that period by sending a message to webmaster@utahbar.org with the following in the body of the message (not the subject):
unsubscribe solotalk
and ask to be temporarily removed from the listserv. (We promise you can get back on when you return.) If you don’t want to do that, at least spare your fellow listserv participants from receiving an “Out of Office” auto reply message while you’re away. Few things draw the ire of your colleagues as an automated response. (Yes, they will talk about you.)
Don’t Request Email Read Receipts, Delivery/Open Confirmations, etc.
- Similar to the “Out of Office” reply, sometimes it’s nice to know whether or not an email message has been read by the recipient. However, requiring a “Read Receipt,” “Delivery Confirmation,” “Open Confirmation,” or any other setting that generates an automatic response from the recipient causes a great deal of clutter on the listserv (and again, people will talk). Make sure your email is configured in such a way as to prevent these types of automated responses.
Post only what you want to share
- One of the most valuable functions of the listserv is that participants will so openly share forms, notes, schematics, and other valuable files with each other. However, if the posted material is subject to a copyright held by someone other than the person who posts the file to the listserv, you should not post the materials without the prior consent of the copyright holder.
If you have something to sell, the SSFR listserv may not be the appropriate forum
- If you have some great ideas on how members can improve their practices, serve clients better, have a better life, etc. and you want to share that information and those resources with others and with no strings attached, by all means, please share. However, if you want to charge for that information, please use an alternative means of marketing those services/items.
Basic email rules you should already know
- Don’t assume that your fellow listserv participants know who you are. Make sure that ALL emails you post to a listserv contain a full identifying signature (name, title, mailing address, and email address) at the bottom.
- TYPING IN ALL CAPS AND WITH REALLY POOR GRAMMATICAL USE AND RUN-ON SENTENCES AND FRAGMENTS is equivalent to yelling and makes for distracting reading. Use traditional capitalization, punctuation, and grammar when possible.
- Don’t use active “emoticons” or animated graphics in signatures and avoid including ActiveX controls or Java applets in emails posted to any SSFR listserv. Similarly, refrain from using signatures containing embedded solicitations, links to “get free emoticons” and similar matters.
- When replying to emails that are not of general interest (such as requests for attorney references, co-counsel opportunities, “thanks for the information,” etc.), direct your reply off-list only to the person who posted the message, rather than posting a general reply to the listserv.
Thank you for your cooperation, and for your participation in SSFR’s online community.
Disclaimer: Neither the Utah State Bar, the Solo, Small Firm & Rural Section of the Bar, nor any of the attorneys participating on this listserv are engaged in rendering legal services or advice to the public, to any particular person or group of persons, or to any attorney or law firm by participation in this listserv.
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