Broadcast E-mail Plan and Procedures

October 2000, revised March 2003, revised February 2007

Introduction

To enhance communication with WSBA members and take advantage of technologies that enable fast and inexpensive communication, the WSBA began using broadcast e-mail in October 2000.

Members can limit the e-mails they receive. (See "E-mail Options," below.)

The use of broadcast e-mail supports the following Washington State Bar Association Strategic Goals, as adopted by the Board of Governors in September 1999:

• "Provide and improve services and benefits to members statewide in response to their needs and desires." 
• "…[B]e a leader in using and promoting technology for the benefit of members, the courts and the bar."

Recognizing that unwanted e-mails can be bothersome, the WSBA is careful about the frequency and content of broadcast e-mails. To monitor frequency and content, all broadcast e-mail messages are funneled through the member and community relations director (or the director's designee), and a log of all broadcast e-mails is maintained.

The Process

1.      Broadcast e-mail messages are coordinated centrally by the Member and Community Relations Department and are not to be sent by individual departments.

2.      The person who wants the e-mail message to be sent drafts the e-mail message, completes the "Broadcast E-mail Request," and obtains the approval of his/her department director.

3.      The director-approved e-mail message is sent to the member and community relations director at least three working days before the desired send date.

4.      Membership Records is notified of the request, so the file can be prepared.

5.      The member and community relations director edits the e-mail message as appropriate (checking for content, tone, grammar and consistency), consults with the original drafter and department director if necessary, determines the date the e-mail 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 e-mails), and records it in the log.

6.      The finalized e-mail message and all related information is sent to the WSBA Service Center representative, who sends the e-mail.

7.      The executive director and department directors are copied on all broadcast e-mail messages. The person initiating the e-mail 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 e-mail message includes instructions for restricting future broadcast e-mails. 
• No attachments are to be included. 
• When applicable, web links may be included. 
• No member will receive more than several broadcast e-mail messages per week. 
• All requests for broadcast e-mails must go through the procedure and sent by the designated Service Center representative. 
• The executive director and department directors are copied on every broadcast e-mail. The person who requested the e-mail is also copied.

Broadcast E-mail Messages for Other Groups

In general, it is the WSBA's policy not to send broadcast e-mail messages to WSBA members on behalf of other groups. However, occasional exceptions may be made for county, minority, and specialty bar associations, in the interests of fostering good relations with these groups and providing support to them. Criteria used will be as follows:

• The group requesting the broadcast e-mail is a Washington state county, minority, or specialty bar association.
• The director of member and community relations determines that the message would be of interest to WSBA members (not just of interest to the members of the requesting bar association).
• The requesting bar association submits its request at least one week in advance.
• WSBA broadcast e-mail standards will apply.

Definition of Broadcast E-mail

This policy applies only to e-mail addresses obtained from the WSBA member database. For the purposes of this policy, it is perhaps easier to consider what a broadcast e-mail is not (any e-mail message sent to a group of members not covered in the examples below would be considered a broadcast e-mail).

• E-mail messages posted to established list serves (e.g., committee list serves or the bar leaders list serve) do not fall under the guidelines of this broadcast e-mail 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 e-mail messages to the list serve and not "over-burden" list serve subscribers with frivolous or unnecessary messages.)
• E-mail messages sent by WSBA staff to several WSBA members who are personally known to the staff person are not broadcast e-mail 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 e-mail message about an upcoming CLE seminar sent to 50 acquaintances of the staff person would be considered a broadcast e-mail message.) 
• An e-mail 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 e-mail message.

E-mail Options

Options are as follows. These may be modified or added to over time.

Members not restricting their e-mails will receive all broadcast e-mail 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 e-mail address sold." If you select option 1, you will not receive information about section-sponsored CLEs. (Please note that the WSBA sells e-mail addresses to CLE providers only.)

Option 2: "I do not want any CLE information except for CLEs that are section-sponsored."

Option 3: "I do not want any non-official WSBA or legal community notices."

To Prevent Your E-mail Address from Being Published

If you do not want your e-mail address published in either the printed Resources directory or the online Lawyer Directory (http://pro.wsba.org), please send an e-mail to email@wsba.org with "unpublished" in the subject line.

Comments

The WSBA welcomes members' comments. Please send your comments to email@wsba.org.