Spam and the practice of law

Interesting - we all know that spam can get the spammer in trouble. But, it seems like the spam gets worse - not better. And the worst spam - spam to lawyers about legal services.

Let me see if I get this right. You want me to use your service, yet you can't seem to follow a little thing like a federal law? Hmmm......that sounds like something I want.

Recently, I was contacted by two services. One was a marketing company and one a legal research company. I have been asking these folks (who shall remain nameless, but if they spam me again, its on) to remove me from their lists for at least 6 months. And what do they do? They keep spamming me. So, last week I hit my breaking point - I responded to the president of the marketing company, or as he likes to call himself the "head guy who can't figure out the law," er, "head guru." Sorry, you can see how I could get those confused. I write him a lengthy, well thought out reply that was, in my humble opinion, quite funny. No response. I then sent one to the president of the legal research company - still no response.

Why does this bother me, especially with these two companies? If you are a marketing company and you are spamming me to use your service, what does it say about your service? It clearly says you do not understand how to properly email someone and that means to me if I hire you, I face a potential liability. Thanks, but no thanks. It also says that your program is not very good. Notice that Ben Glass at Great Legal Marketing or Mark Merenda at SmartMarketing don't spam attorneys. They don't need to - their program works!

If you are a legal research company, it makes me question your ability to research. Seriously - did you miss the CAN SPAM act when you were trying to figure out how to market? If you did, your research skills may leave out other important documents, say the US Constitution. If you did find it, why are you spamming me? Do you think it does not apply to you? Lisa Solomon at Question Of Law never spams me and she can find the CAN SPAM act. I know - I asked her!

I think there may be a more basic problem. They know that most of us, especially sole practitioners, are too busy to sue them over this nonsense. So, they figure they can get away with it. Sad, but probably true. Of course, do they really get business from spamming us? I hope not. Please, when you get spammed by a service provider, do not give them your business. Maybe that will start to clean up this mess!