Nothing is worse than an after-hours blackberry message from a partner, a client, or an opposing counsel.  As much as I wish I could turn the electronic leash that connects me from my home in Cockeysville to my office in Towson when I finally arrive home after a day of work, it always is “on” and communicating with our server.

The flashing green light turns red and I check the message.  Usually the message ends up being spam or some advertisement for deposition services, but every so often, the message is “urgent.”  I put “urgent” in quotes, because with the creation of email, blackberries, remote login access, voicemail, and whatever the next great piece of technology that will make me work harder, faster and more efficiently, there is nothing too small that cannot wait until the morning.

When I started practicing, email was all the rage.  Blackberries, however, did not exist.  Low and behold, I still handled my cases with precision and skill.  Deadlines were met.  Cases won.  Appeals filed.  But in the world of instant gratification, the blackberry is an attorney’s best friend and worst enemy.

Don’t get me wrong, I have a co-dependent relationship with my blackberry.  She is always close to me.  I check her often – whether for email, the latest sports score, or the latest legal news on the Maryland Daily Record’s website.  She permits me to respond to clients in emergencies or to answer questions on a case from a partner.

Sometimes slung on my hip, in my briefcase, or resting in the front pocket of my suit pants, I always know where my blackberry is. When I get back to my office after a day out, I won’t have 100 emails waiting to be read.  I can send messages to my paralegal for tasks that need to be completed or request research from my law clerk when an issue comes up in court.

I love my blackberry as much as you can love an electronic device that wirelessly delivers your email to you.  But there are days, however, when dinner has been finished, my two year old has been put to bed, and the last couple of hours at home will not be spent relaxing, but will be spent responding to a message that could not wait until morning.

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