All participants of the International Municipal Lawyers Association (IMLA) Attorney Listserv (also known as the IMLA Atty-List) are expected to comply with the following "norms." The norms exist to promote efficient and responsible communication between members while retaining the informal collegiality enjoyed by the group. The norms are intended to reduce messages that do not contribute to the substance of a discussion thread, but they also represent courteous email protocol.
Identify Yourself
Always identify yourself by name and title and include your email address within the body of sent messages. This will allow recipients to contact you directly, or off-list, should the need arise.
Replies
Do not reply to a message without adding a substantive thought to the dialogue. Thus, "Me too," "I agree," or "Ditto" would be unnecessary replies.
Subject Line
Always review the subject line before sending a message or reply. If the topic is jurisdiction-specific, list the state of relevance. If the message is a reply to an existing thread, update the subject line if your comment changes the context of the discussion.
Share Documents
When requesting copies of a document referenced in a message, do so off-list, and remember to include your email address in your message (refer to the Replies section for more information). Attachments are not allowed on listserv messages, however, a file-sharing site is available for document downloads (read the file titled "aaa-Instructions for using FTP" on the file-sharing site for more information). Posting documents that several members request is encouraged but be sure to alert the Listserv to the addition of a document on the file-sharing server. Contact Support to receive login information for the file-sharing site. Please remember the site is intended for members of the Atty-Listserv, so don’t liberally forward the access info.
To open a document from the file-sharing site, you will need the software in which it was posted (for example, Word, Excel, and Adobe). Clicking on a file name will cause that file to be downloaded to your computer; from which you can then open the file.
To append a file to the file-sharing site, you will need to click the "Upload" button, navigate to the file on your computer, double-click the file, and then click the "Upload" button.
For more information on sharing documents, see the IMLA Attorney Listserv Member File Sharing article.
Commercial Messages
Messages of a commercial nature are strictly prohibited on the Listserv and may result in termination as a participant. Reference checks, notices of employment, and other matters pertinent to the operational aspects of your law office are not considered "commercial messages."
In-Article Glossary
The terms located in this section are listed alphabetically:
- Atty: Attorney
- FTP: File-Transfer Protocol
- IMLA: International Municipal Lawyers Association
Resources
- IMLA Municipal Attorney Listserv
- IMLA Attorney Listserv Member File Sharing
- Listserv Frequently Asked Questions
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