2 e-mailers get testy, and hundreds read every word

Boston Globe ^ | 2/16/06 | Sacha Pfeiffer

[Millee]

Once again, a friendly reminder: The next time you're tempted to send a nasty, exasperated, or snippy e-mail, pause, take a deep breath, and think again. Then consider the tale of local lawyers William A. Korman and Dianna L. Abdala.

Korman was miffed that Abdala notified him by e-mail this month that, after tentatively agreeing to work at his law firm, she changed her mind. Her reason: ''The pay you are offering would neither fulfill me nor support the lifestyle I am living."

In his e-mail reply, Korman told Abdala that her decision not to have told him in person ''smacks of immaturity and is quite unprofessional," and noted that in anticipation of her arrival, he had ordered stationery and business cards for her, reformatted a computer, and set up an e-mail account. Nevertheless, he wrote, ''I sincerely wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors."

Her curt retort: ''A real lawyer would have put the contract into writing and not exercised any such reliance until he did so."

His: ''Thank you for the refresher course on contracts. This is not a bar exam question. You need to realize that this is a very small legal community, especially the criminal defense bar. Do you really want to start pissing off more experienced lawyers at this early stage of your career?"

Abdala's final three-word response: ''bla bla bla."

[Millee]

the reduced salary ''might have been realistic for other people to survive on, but I like nicer things. I like the finer things in life."

What a {self-edited}!

[radiohead]

A real lawyer...

Speaking as a 'real lawyer,' a real lawyer wouldn't put anything in an email that she wouldn't want read to the jury at trial. : )

[sockmonkey]

Is Ms. Abdala related to Omarosa from the television show The Apprentice?

[The_Media_never_lie]

I love it when lawyers argue.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

Abdala sound like Paris Hilton with a law degree.

[yldstrk]

She's got a lot to learn.

[TheDon]

Abdala, who described herself as a ''trust fund baby," ... "No one wants to be living off daddy." Abdala's father, George S. Abdala, is a Springfield lawyer.

Hey, my name is not "no one"!

[ElkGroveDan]

Abdala, who described herself as a ''trust fund baby," was admitted to the Massachusetts bar last year and said that since then she has ''just been taking it easy" because ''I worked hard in school." She decided to respond to Korman's job posting because ''I wanted to establish somewhat of a career for myself," she said. ''No one wants to be living off daddy."

Hoo boy. I've dealt with her type before. Why would any hire an admitted trust baby with an attitude like that? As we used to say in sales and marketing, hire the hungry guy.

[T Minus Four]

They should be more careful - it's lawyer season!

[airborne]

She'll find work with some femi-Nazi group.

[RichInOC]

I say they're both idiots.

[Centurion2000]

Anyone want to guess her political party afiliation?

[SquirrelKing]

They should be more careful - it's lawyer season!

ROFL

I've turned down positions via email before. It's the 21st century after all.

[i_dont_chat]

Will someone please design a "hunting stamp" for lawyers?

[SittinYonder]

Abdala, who described herself as a ''trust fund baby,"

Sounds like this guy got lucky not having her come to work for him. He should really screen his prospective employees better.

[Navy Patriot]

She'll find work with some femi-Nazi group.

Or some Gian Luigi Ferri-like client.

[Millee]

LOL!

[Michael.SF.]

Why would any hire an admitted trust baby with an attitude like that?

Maybe the answer lies in the punchline of the old joke about a law firm wanting to hire a woman. The punch line, as to who got the job, was:

"The one with the big tits."

[DB]

How would you like her to be your defense lawyer...

Not me...

[BenLurkin]

''It almost sounds too obvious, but I'll say it: You should never write an e-mail that you are not willing to see preserved forever in history,"