Introduction
To enhance communication with WSBA members and take advantage of technologies that enable fast, efficient, and cost-effective communication, the WSBA uses broadcast email.
Members can limit the emails they receive. (See "Email Options," below.) Recognizing that unwanted emails can be bothersome, the WSBA is careful about the frequency and content of broadcast emails. To monitor frequency and content, all broadcast email messages are funneled through the director of member and community relations (or the director's designee), and a log of all broadcast emails is maintained.
The Process
1. Broadcast email messages are coordinated centrally by the Communications Department and are not to be sent by individual departments.
2. The person who wants the email message to be sent drafts the email message, completes the "Broadcast E-mail Request," and obtains the approval of his/her department director.
3. The director-approved email message is sent to the communications specialist at least three working days before the desired send date.
4. The communications specialist orders the file from Membership Records.
5. The communications specialist edits the email message as appropriate (checking for content, tone, grammar, and consistency), consults with the original drafter and department director if necessary, determines the date the email message will be sent (considering the date the drafter wishes it to be sent, whether the message is time-sensitive, and the number and subject of recently sent emails), and records it in the log. The director of communications or deputy director for external relations approves all emails.
6. The finalized email message and all related information is sent to the WSBA Service Center representative, who sends the email.
7. The executive director and department directors are copied on all broadcast email messages. The person initiating the email request is also copied.
Standards
• "WSBA" is always the first word in the subject line.
• The subject line includes enough information so recipients can quickly determine if they want to delete the message without opening it.
• There is only one subject per message.
• The message is brief, sometimes including instructions on where to get additional information.
• Each email message includes instructions for restricting future broadcast e-mails.
• No attachments are included.
• When applicable, links may be included.
• No member will receive more than several broadcast email messages per week.
• All requests for broadcast emails must go through the procedure and sent by the designated Service Center representative.
Broadcast E-mail Messages for Other Groups
In general, it is the WSBA's policy not to send broadcast email messages to WSBA members on behalf of other groups. However, occasional exceptions may be made by the executive director for county, minority, and specialty bar associations, and state courts. Criteria used will be as follows:
• The group requesting the broadcast email is a Washington state county, minority, or specialty bar association, or state court.
• The director of communications or deputy director for external relations determines that the message would be of interest to WSBA members.
• The requesting bar association or court submits its request at least one week in advance.
• WSBA broadcast email standards will apply.
Definition of Broadcast Email
This policy applies only to email addresses obtained from the WSBA member database. For the purposes of this policy, it is perhaps easier to consider what a broadcast email is not (any email message sent to a group of members not covered in the examples below would be considered a broadcast email).
• Email messages posted to established list serves (e.g., section list serves) do not fall under the guidelines of this broadcast email policy, since those participating in WSBA list serves are doing so voluntarily. It is not our intention to monitor messages sent to list serves, unless the situation specifically warrants it (e.g., complaints from list serve subscribers about inappropriate material). (However, all those participating in list serves are requested to use care when posting email messages to the list serve and not "over-burden" list serve subscribers with frivolous or unnecessary messages.)
• Email messages sent by WSBA staff to several WSBA members who are personally known to the staff person are not broadcast email messages. (Staff are advised to exercise good judgment and consider the spirit of the policy, and not try to "work around" it. For example, an email message about an upcoming CLE seminar sent to 50 acquaintances of the staff person would be considered a broadcast email message.)
• An email message sent to one individual WSBA member by a WSBA staff person, whether or not the staff person personally knows the member, is not a broadcast email message.
• An email message sent to a committee by the staff liaison is not a broadcast email message.
E-mail Options
Options are as follows. These may be modified or added to over time.
Members not restricting their emails will receive all broadcast email messages. (Note that some announcements may be sent to selected groups, such as CLE seminar notifications sent to those in a particular geographical location.)
Option 1: "I do not want my email address sold." If you select option 1, you will not receive information about any CLEs, including WSBA and section-sponsored CLEs. (Please note that the WSBA sells email addresses to CLE providers only.)
Option 2: "I do not want any CLE information except for CLEs that are sponsored by sections to which I belong."
Option 3: "I do not want any non-official WSBA or legal community notices."
Official E-mail
The following are sent as official broadcast emails (members selecting Option 3, above, will receive these emails):
• Licensing and MCLE notices/reminders
• Notices about Board of Governors elections
• Notices about Board of Trustees elections (WYLD members only)
• De Novo (WYLD members only)
All other broadcast emails are non-official, except that the executive director may, at his/her discretion, determine that a message may be sent as official email.
To Prevent Your Email Address from Being Published
If you do not want your email address published in either the printed Resources directory or the online Lawyer Directory (http://pro.wsba.org), please send an email to email@wsba.org with "unpublished" in the subject line.
Comments
The WSBA welcomes members' comments. Please send your comments to email@wsba.org.
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