I receive approximately two hundred legitimate emails… each day. My firm is paperless, which means that all of my mail and faxes are scanned and go directly to my inbox. Add emails from clients, opposing counsel, DAYL, and the other organizations I am involved with, and you can see how my inbox fills up so quickly. I expect that excessive email traffic has become a daily challenge for all of us. In my quest to manage my own inbox, I have developed a few tips to assist you in the day to day email struggle. My caveat with this article is to please forgive me if, and when, I violate my own tips.

1. Calendar EMail Time. Email is extremely distracting. Each message not only pops up on your computer screen, but you also hear a lovely ding. Rather than allow yourself to get sucked into the email time warp, I suggest setting aside a few times a day to review and respond to your emails. You can also turn down the volume so that you do not hear the ding. If you are working on a writing project that requires complete concentration, just turn off your email. (Yes, it can be done). I’ve also noticed that when I take a breather and check back in a few hours, many of the email questions have already resolved themselves.

2. Read it and Delete It. Once you have reviewed an email, try to either (1) respond immediately if you have a quick answer, or (2) red flag the email for follow up. Then after you do respond, delete the email or move it to a folder on your desktop for quick reference.

3. Less is More. Just recall the emails you have received that consist of one very long paragraph. If you want the recipient to read your email, use bullet points and highlight in bold or different colors the dates and times of events so that the recipient can quickly scan the important information. If you are emailing more than one person, include in the body of your email the name of the person to whom your question is intended (rather than generally stating a question in an email to five people when you know only one of those five has the answer). And please do not leave your question until the very last sentence of a very long paragraph.

4. Pay Attention to the Subject Line. Make sure your subject line matches your email. This helps your recipient determine quickly what information you may need, and if an immediate response is warranted. If you just have a quick question, you can also include the question in the subject line.

5. Double and Triple Check the "to," "cc:" and "bcc:" fields. Microsoft Outlook will automatically substitute a complete email address of a recipient from just the first few letters typed. This is a wonderful feature, until you send an email to the wrong person.

6. Email is not Texting. u should not treat em as a text, bc u may b sry. Seriously though, most of us now use emails to correspond with clients and opposing counsel. Keep your messages professional with correct spelling and grammar.

7. Discover Doodle®. Finally, use often the fabulous and free www.doodle.com for calendaring meetings. Rather than emailing twenty people to find out when everyone is available, Doodle® allows all twenty to enter their availability into a spreadsheet on one website.