We have had much interest and support for the members@ email group, which has been a useful way to share information and help members find cover for clients at courts.
 
However, nobody wants to drown in a sea of emails and if overused there is a risk that other members will unsubscribe from the group, which would be counter-productive. We hope you will see that we are trying to strike a fair balance.
 
We therefore confirm the following rules and guidance:-
 
Rules
1 Any email relating to arranging cover or offering availability MUST have the word COVER in the email subject line.
This allows members who do not wish to receive emails on this topic to block such emails without unsubscribing from the list (see below for an explanation on how to do this)*
2 Recruitment emails are prohibited. Please contact us if you wish to place an advertisement on our website.
3 Please do not seek cover on behalf of other firms or sole practitioners. If they wish to make use of this facility they should join the association.
4 Be mindful of client confidentiality and do not disclose client details on this email group.
 
Guidance
1 Freelancers: "Availability" emails just once a week please. We don't need updates every day, we will find you when we need you.
2 This is a London association, rarely will this forum be the best place for out-of-town cover.
3 Once you have the matter covered please do not ‘reply all’ to indicate it is covered. It might stop you receiving another 1 to 2 emails but remember you are sending several hundred people an unnecessary message.
4 Fees should be agreed upfront between the parties, the LCCSA does not offer arbitration on rates or timeliness of payment.
 
* Microsoft Outlook enables you to automatically filter emails based on key words in the subject line. You might wish to set a rule that states: if an email from Members@ contains the word ‘cover’ it does not appear in your inbox but is diverted to another folder; you might create one called ‘LCCSA cover’. You can then choose to monitor these emails when it suits you. You could divert them to the deleted items folder if you are not likely to be interested in court cover but want to receive news items.
A step by step guide for Outlook 16 and 13 can be found here: https://support.office.com/en-gb/article/Manage-email-messages-by-using-rules-c24f5dea-9465-4df4-ad17-a50704d66c59
Other email platforms will have guidance pages for email management and rule creation.
10th May 2017