We all do it.  We send text messages that butcher the English language despite years of teachers critiquing our writing.   We shorten “thanks” to “thx”.  We abbreviate “you” with “u”.  “For” becomes “4″.  I do it all the time… and personally, I don’t have any problem changing spellings and using condensed versions of words to create my own text dialect.  That said, this bad habit needs to be limited to personal messaging only.

From recent conversations with various members of the Baltimore County Bar Association, it has been brought to my attention that many attorneys, rookies and veterans alike, are now using “text speak” in e-mail communications.

E-mail has drastically changed the practice of law.  Drafting letters has been replaced by sending e-mail.  No longer do you have to wait days for a response to correspondence.  Instant communication is now, quite literally, at our fingertips.  However, the trend of replying to clients and opposing counsel with broken English and text-speak is apparently widespread.  (Personally, I have not seen too much of this, but apparently many others have).

Have wordsmiths and the art of writing letters with linguistic prowess been replaced by thumbing quick reply emails into Blackberries?  And if so, why?

The most obvious explanation is the fact that, thanks to our “smart” phones, we are available 24 hours a day (See any and all of the blogs under the Technology tag).  Secondly, considering that the biggest complaint the Attorney Grievance Commission receives about Maryland attorneys is the alleged lack of communication clients receive from their lawyers, it’s now quite effortless to send a quick response acknowledging receipt.

But, does the quick response from your phone allow you to forego formality?

The consensus among those who I spoke to was to avoid using the text-dialect at all costs.

Although many were discussed, there were two reasons that stood out as most important.  First, clients are paying substantial fees for representation.  They ought not be billed for colloquial responses, especially when the price tag is typically a few hundred dollars per hour.  Secondly, there is always a chance that your email will end up as an exhibit in trial.  I know I would not enjoy being cross examined about what “Thx 4 the dox” means, nor would I want any judge to get an impression of my legal abilities based on said phrase.

So, as a wise person once told me, “draft your emails with assumption that, one day, Chief Justice Roberts may be reviewing the transcript.”  Save the txt spk 4 friends.

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