I am working with a lawyer who dictates a letter, scans it, has his staff e-mail it to me and then mails it. Another lawyer dictates his letters and then has his staff fax and mail the letter. My question is, “Why don’t they just type an e-mail?” E-mails are instantaneous, require no secretarial assistance, and their delivery and receipt are verified. There is no risk whatsoever that someone will say they didn’t get an e-mail. The worst thing that happens is that an e-mail might get diverted to junk mail. What am I missing? Is there some legal significance to placing a letter in the mail instead of relying solely on an e-mail? Could it be that there is reluctance to charge for sending an e-mail as opposed to a letter? Technology allows us to create a better product and to deliver it more efficiently and quickly. The billable hour discourages lawyers from investing in the obtaining and use of this technology, and it discourages lawyers from pursuing efficiency and imaginative approaches to producing legal results faster.
