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Many clients recently have used email to seek updates to their cases, most still call. I've toyed with the idea of some form of Twitter style updating. Some legal case management solutions offer web based access to clients to their case's calendars are notes, so the client can see for themselves what is or is not happening on their case. The problem with such communications is privacy/security and the void of updates. Law is a slow process.

I worry about protecting attorney client privileged information in electronic communications. The worst thing that could happen in a negotiation would be for the other side to gain access to the strategy for settlement. If they know your bottom desired outcome, you can guarantee the other side will not offer better than the bottom at any time. By example, imagine going to buy a used car and the dealer knowing exactly what you were willing to pay before you walked in the door.

The void of updates is a function of the practice. There are long periods of time where documents are being gathered, responses are "in the mail", or where there is just a wait for legislated waiting periods to pass and court dockets to clear. Twitter is for fast updates on quickly evolving situations. It is already difficult to explain to clients why a case takes, what to them, seems an extraordinarily long time to finish. Tweeting would just add to that frustration.

The advantage to email updates is that they are brief and can be responded to at leisure. I have found though that email updates frequently result in phone calls to explain what was written. The reality is that for most people legal issues are not common. Lawyers don't try to use legal-speak to confuse people, its just that certain terms are used to explain complex issues, and those terms aren't used by everyday people in normal conversation.

I imagine a Twitter style update would generate even more confusion than email. Being limited to a small number of characters would cause a flurry of tweets to define terms used.

Perhaps it is better to encourage email usage, for now.