On Tuesday, Donald Trump Jr. tweeted screenshots of his email conversations regarding efforts to set up a meeting with a “Russian government attorney” in June 2016. His tweets came after The New York Times told him that it was about to publish an article detailing the contents of the emails. Trump Jr. declined to comment and instead tweeted a brief statement along with the screenshots, saying he was posting them “in order to be totally transparent.”

The emails show how Trump Jr. was approached by Rob Goldstone, a British publicist and former tabloid reporter, to set up a meeting. Goldstone represents the Russian pop star Emin Agalarov, the son of a Moscow real estate tycoon.

Here’s my statement and the full email chain pic.twitter.com/x050r5n5LQ

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) July 11, 2017

Agalarov’s father, Aras, and Donald Trump cooperated back in 2013 to bring the Miss Universe contest to Russia. Their families befriended each other, and the younger Agalarov featured Donald Trump in one of his music videos. The Agalarov family also has close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In the email to Trump Jr., Goldstone wrote that Emin Agalarov said that his father had met the “Crown prosecutor of Russia” and claimed to have damaging information on Hillary Clinton, which could be useful for his father’s presidential campaign. “This is obviously very high level and sensitive information but is part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump,” Goldstone wrote. “If it’s what you say I love it especially later in the summer,” was Trump Jr.’s reply.

After some back and forth, the meeting was set for June 9 in Trump Tower. Trump Jr. brought Paul Manafort, his father’s campaign chairman at the time, and Jared Kushner, his brother-in-law who remains a close advisor to his father, to the meet with the Russian attorney. Goldstone even checked in at Trump Tower on Facebook before the meeting.

You have to love that Rob Goldstone wrote an email saying the Russian gov wants to help beat Hillary and then checked in for the meeting pic.twitter.com/Ajg1NWHciA

— Josh Schwerin (@JoshSchwerin) July 11, 2017

What exactly happened at the meeting remains unclear. Trump Jr. claimed that the attorney, Natalia Veselnitskaya, only wanted to talk about adoption policies. The day after, when The New York Times contacted him again to say it was about to publish a second article, he changed his account.

Trump Jr. then said he only knew that he was meeting a woman who claimed to have information that would be helpful to his father’s campaign, but said he didn’t know her name beforehand. He also said that she didn’t have any valuable information after all.

A spokesperson for Vladimir Putin said that the Kremlin had no knowledge of the meeting and does he know Veselnitskaya.

On Tuesday morning, Veselnitskaya defended herself on NBC and said she never had any damaging information about Clinton. She denied having any ties to the Kremlin and said that the conversation with Trump Jr. was about the Magnitsky Act–a law that imposed sanctions on Russian officials who have committed human rights violations.

In retaliation for the law, the Kremlin stopped allowing the adoption of Russian children by American parents. Veselnitskaya is reportedly known for having well-connected clients and has aggressively lobbied against the Magnitsky Act in the past. According to Veselnitskaya, the Trump team may have wanted info on Clinton “so badly that they could only hear the thought that they wanted.”

No matter what was said at the meeting, and whether or not the information was useful, the emails show that Donald Trump Jr. was fully aware that he was meeting with someone who he was told was a representative of the Russian government, which also wanted to help to get his father elected.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Emails Show Trump Jr. Sought Information From Russian Government During Campaign appeared first on Law Street.

Good morning everyone, here’s the first RantCrush of 2017! Hope you had a good New Year’s Eve and are prepared to tackle the new year. Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Arrests Have Been Made in Turkey Nightclub Attack

On the night of New Year’s Eve, a gunman dressed as Santa entered an internationally popular nightclub in Istanbul and started a shooting spree. Thirty-nine people died, and many more were injured. Yesterday, ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack. Twelve people have been arrested, but it’s still unclear whether the actual perpetrator is among them. The suspect has been identified as a man from Uzbekistan or Kyrgyzstan. Police are also investigating whether the unnamed suspect is connected to the same ISIS-affiliated group that carried out the attack on Istanbul’s Ataturk airport in June.

Turkey nightclub attack: Manhunt for gunman intensifies https://t.co/3SYL7yKMKm

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) January 2, 2017

The attack is believed to be retaliation against Turkey for its involvement in the conflict in Syria, where Turkish forces have been fighting against ISIS. Approximately 25 of the victims were foreign. One American man was among the injured and survived by playing dead. This was a tragic way to end 2016 and ring in the new year, but Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is determined to fight terrorism. “As a nation, we will fight to the end against not just the armed attacks of terror groups and the forces behind them, but also against their economic, political, and social attacks,” he said in a statement.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post RantCrush Top 5: January 3, 2017 appeared first on Law Street.

Welcome to RantCrush Top 5, where we take you through today’s top five controversial stories in the world of law and policy. Who’s ranting and raving right now? Check it out below:

Don’t Shoot The Messenger?

Yesterday, CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin interviewed author Charles Kaiser, who is a Trump critic. But when he used the n-word when quoting Steve Bannon, Trump’s pick for White House strategist, she cut him off. “The fact that somebody used the N-word on this show–it is not OK. It is not OK, Charles Kaiser,” she said. She seemed to be close to tears when she interrupted the show and called for a break. Kaiser later wrote to CNN apologizing and also saying he mistook Bannon for Jeff Sessions. Yes, the n-word shouldn’t be normalized, but Kaiser quoted someone else, so didn’t Baldwin miss the point when she cut short the interview?

@BrookeBCNN by being scared of that word you give it power. The context was completely appropriate, esp. in regards to a cabinet member.

— Skyler Acord (@Skyduck64) November 22, 2016

You’re more upset over someone quoting a bigot than you are over that bigot. Don’t act holier than thou. YOU’RE the problem! @BrookeBCNN

— Nnenna..aaaaa (@Live_Beautiful) November 22, 2016

Rant Crush

RantCrush collects the top trending topics in the law and policy world each day just for you.

The post RantCrush Top 5: November 23, 2016 appeared first on Law Street.

On Sunday, FBI Director James Comey announced that after reviewing new emails found on Anthony Weiner’s computer, his decision not to recommend charges against Hillary Clinton remains. Barring any new information, the FBI’s announcement effectively closes Clinton’s case–a conclusion that has left many unsatisfied.

FBI Dir just informed us “Based on our review, we have not changed our conclusions that we expressed in July with respect to Sec Clinton”

— Jason Chaffetz (@jasoninthehouse) November 6, 2016

The FBI was in the process of investigating Anthony Weiner’s computer because of an alleged sexting affair with an underage girl. During the course of that investigation, the FBI found emails related to Hillary Clinton sent or received by Weiner’s estranged wife Huma Abedin, a top Clinton aide.

Soon after Comey’s announcement, conspiracy theorists and Donald Trump supporters questioned whether the FBI could review so many emails in just over a week. Michael T. Flynn, former Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, seemed to imply that Comey himself had looked through all of the documents.

IMPOSSIBLE:
There R 691,200 seconds in 8 days. DIR Comey has thoroughly reviewed 650,000 emails in 8 days? An email / second? IMPOSSIBLE RT

— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) November 6, 2016

It took 1 year to review 60K and 8 days to review 650K? Smart machines or not, something does not jive. Thoughts?

— General Flynn (@GenFlynn) November 6, 2016

In response to a tweeted question by journalism professor Jeff Jarvis, former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden tweeted back an explanation of how a computer could do this:

@jeffjarvis Drop non-responsive To:/CC:/BCC:, hash both sets, then subtract those that match. Old laptops could do it in minutes-to-hours.

— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) November 7, 2016

Snowden, who revealed the NSA’s metadata surveillance program, said that such a review shouldn’t take very long. And according to reports, most of the emails, that were found on Weiner’s computer were duplicates of emails already reviewed by the FBI.

John Conyers Jr., a Michigan Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, told NBC on Sunday, “In the days that come, we will have many questions about the FBI’s handling of this investigation. In the meantime, however, I welcome this news confirming again that no charges are warranted in this matter.”

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Snowden Debunks FBI Investigation Conspiracy Theories with One Tweet appeared first on Law Street.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch will likely face more questions in regards to her “secret meeting” with former president Bill Clinton, thanks to a new lawsuit filed Wednesday by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ) against the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The meeting between Lynch and Clinton took place aboard her plane on June 27 in Phoenix, Arizona, and lasted about 30 minutes. It was deemed controversial, given that it came a week before Lynch announced that her department had closed its federal probe into Hillary Clinton’s emails without filing any criminal charges.

At the time Lynch claimed that the pair’s conversation was “primarily social” and that they had spoken a great deal about grandchildren, traveling, and golf. But even Lynch agreed that the meeting had “cast a shadow” over the investigation.

The ACLJ previously sent Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests to the DOJ and the FBI demanding an explanation as to why the meeting was allowed to transpire, calling for her resignation.

Then last week, in a letter to Congress,  FBI Director James Comey announced a new investigation into Clinton’s emails–this time focusing on emails found on devices belonging to Huma Abedin, Clinton’s longtime aide, and her former husband Anthony Weiner.

In the complaint, the conservative Christian organization is demanding specific information regarding communications sent between Lynch and the former president, as well as the names of any officials or staff members present during the exchange.

The organization has repeatedly condemned President Obama and his appointees  in the past. In fact, this marks the fourth major federal lawsuit the ACLJ has filed against the Obama administration for what it considers to be “corruption and failure to comply with FOIA.” It has also launched a petition demanding a full, thorough, and unbiased FBI investigation into Secretary Clinton’s email server.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post ACLJ Sues Loretta Lynch Over “Secret Meeting” With Bill Clinton appeared first on Law Street.

After the first presidential debate broke records as the most watched debate in U.S. history, expectations for Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump’s second showdown at Washington University in St. Louis were high. Here are five of the most buzzworthy moments from the second presidential debate:

 You Know They Had to Talk About The Tape

Going into the second debate, we knew Trump was going to be confronted with questions about the 2005  recording where he was heard speaking vulgarly about women with then “Access Hollywood” host Billy Bush. CNN’s Anderson Cooper wasted no time bringing it up saying, “You’ve bragged that you sexually assaulted women,”  before asking the Republican nominee to explain his actions. Trump responded by saying repeatedly that it was just ” locker room talk” and deflected the conversation to ISIS, Clinton’s emails, and Bill’s past discretions.

Clinton responded by saying that the video and Trump’s attacks against the Khan family, a Hispanic federal judge, President Obama, and a reporter with a physical disability definitively show that he’s not fit to be president. “He owes the president an apology. He owes our country an apology.”

That video represents exactly who Donald Trump is.

-Hillary Clinton.#debate

— Shaun King (@ShaunKing) October 10, 2016

More Sniffling

Like the first debate, viewers continued to be distracted by Trump’s constant sniffling. While the source of his nasal woes is still unclear, people couldn’t help but speculate about the cause.

#Debate: @realDonaldTrump seems a lot more calm, although his sniffling hasn’t gone away.

— Melissa Mecija (@10NewsMecija) October 10, 2016

Is Trump going to blame the sniffling on his mic again? #debate

— Anthony De Rosa (@Anthony) October 10, 2016

symptoms of cocaine abuse

1. dry mouth
2. sniffling
3. rambling incoherently #debate

— Hutch Harris (@thethermals) October 10, 2016

Trump Threatens to Put Clinton in Jail

When addressing Clinton, Trump said that if he wins, “I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your situation,” in response to her private email server use while serving as Secretary of State. Clinton responded by saying viewers should fact check his falsehoods, and that it’s a good thing Trump isn’t in charge of our nation’s laws. “Because you’d be in jail,” shot back Trump, followed by cheers from the audience.

Excuse me, Moderators

It’s not unusual to see presidential candidates interrupt the moderator to get their points across, but this time it was excessive. Trump accused the moderators of teaming up against him and favoriting Clinton.  “It’s one-on-three,” muttered Trump. In fact, ABC’s Martha Raddatz had just asked Clinton about her emails. “We brought up the emails,” Cooper responded.

The Candidates Had to Say Something Nice About Each Other!

After attacking each other’s policies, personal lives, and scandals for an hour and a half, the candidates were asked to close out the debate by naming one positive thing they respect about one another.

Clinton went first, saying that she admires Trump’s children. Trump closed out the debate saying, “She doesn’t quit, she doesn’t give up. I respect that. I tell it like it is. She is a fighter.”

Aww maybe there is hope that they can one day be friends. Or not.

Alexis Evans

Alexis Evans is an Assistant Editor at Law Street and a Buckeye State native. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a minor in Business from Ohio University. Contact Alexis at aevans@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post 5 Buzzworthy Moments From the 2nd Presidential Debate appeared first on Law Street.

The lobbying firm run by Donald Trump’s campaign chairman Paul Manafort conducted business in support of Ukraine’s pro-Russia political party that governed the country from 2012 to 2014. According to emails the Associated Press obtained, Manafort’s firm aimed to sway American public opinion in favor of Viktor Yanukovych’s government, through positive coverage in U.S. media outlets such as The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. The firm also tried to undermine American sympathy for opposition politician and democracy advocate Yulia Tymoshenko who was imprisoned by Yanukovych’s government.

As Law Street Media reported earlier this week, Paul Manafort was mentioned in a list of names that received big cash payments from the Ukrainian government, with $12.7 million earmarked for him. Rick Gates, now his deputy, was at the time working for Manafort’s political consulting firm, DMP International LLC. He directed the work of two Washington-based lobbying firms, Mercury LLC and Podesta Group Inc., in trying to bring about a positive impression of the Ukrainian government.

The emails show that Gates personally scheduled appointments between the Ukrainian foreign minister and American politicians. The foreign minister, according to the emails, did not want to use his own embassy in the U.S. for any coordination of meetings. Gates was also assigned the task of undermining support for Yulia Tymoshenko, even as the U.S. pressured the Ukraine government to free her.

Trump said Tuesday night that if he becomes president he would make sure officials would not be allowed to accept speaking fees from “corporations with a registered lobbyist for five years after leaving office or from any entity tied to a foreign government,” a proposal that seemed to be directed at the Clintons. But now it is clear that two of Trump’s own campaign advisers failed to report their activities as foreign agents, as they are required to by federal law. Not only that, but they specifically denied ever having been involved in such work, a felony that is punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Exactly what role Manafort played in the lobbying operations is not clear, other than being the boss of Gates at DMP International. Both he and Gates have previously said that they did not conduct any direct lobbying, and only introduced the two Washington-based firms to a European non-profit which then took over. But the content of the emails seem to contradict that.

Manafort and Gates have been in charge of Trump’s campaign since the spring of 2015, which makes their earlier lobbying activities especially noteworthy. This brings a lot of questions to the surface and coincides with criticism of Trump’s relationship to Russia.

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Trump Advisers Led Covert Lobbying Scheme for Ukraine’s Pro-Russian Government appeared first on Law Street.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and Hillary Clinton’s email scandal: both issues have lingered in the media and on the minds of voters for the duration of this presidential campaign. These two controversial topics intersected recently, when the State Department announced that Clinton’s TPP related emails will not be ready for public release until late November, well after votes are in and a new president is elected.

TPP is a 12-nation trade deal involving partners from the Americas and Asia–Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Australia along with America and seven others–that is currently stalled in Congress, with friction coming from both sides of the aisle. The Obama Administration has been pushing hard for the deal. It’s also proved a contentious issue in the 2016 presidential campaign, as Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump–two men who often decry trade deals’ impact on the middle class American worker–have paraded the TPP as detrimental to those who have been hurt in the past by trade. Clinton’s history with TPP is a roller-coaster ride of support and opposition.

During her tenure as secretary of state, Clinton voiced support for the controversial trade bill on 45 separate occasions, at one point in 2012 saying: “This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field.”  But Clinton reversed course in October 2015, saying in an interview with PBS that she “did not work on TPP” and that she was “not in favor of what [she had] learned about it.” Analysts and opponents saw this as a forced move to the left in reaction to the rejection of the TPP by Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren and the support that their positions drew from progressives.

At an event at The Brookings Institution–a think tank in Washington D.C.–last week, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and a Senior Brookings Fellow Robert Kagan discussed the tenets of the plan, its strategic importance to U.S. foreign policy, and how it has been used as a policy point by candidates.

“It’s unfortunate that in this campaign Clinton has had to come out against TPP because presumably she’s going to have to reverse herself on that and explain why,” Kagan said in front of a room of foreign business leaders.

Pritzker reiterated the trade deal’s strategic importance regarding American influence on the world economic stage. “It’s about whose going to set the rules of the road for trade in the 21^st century,” she said. “That means setting labor standards, setting environmental standards, ensuring access for e-commerce. It means protecting IP and trade secrets, or strengthening national security.”

Initially, the State Department said Clinton’s TPP related emails were going to be released–per a FOIA request from the International Business Times–in the spring. And although some of the emails have been released,  they do not provide a comprehensive picture regarding Clinton’s role in shaping the agreement, which is what IBT was originally after. Simple State Department requests require an average of 111 days to process. If completed by the last day of November, as the State Department claims, the duration of this request would span 489 days.

“In my opinion it is more incompetence than maliciousness, but either way, it is a gross error by FOIA processors to not get these documents out before the election,” said Nate Jones of the National Security Archive, a group that assists journalists in filing FOIA requests.

And on Monday, after news of the delay broke, the Donald Trump campaign predictably weighed in: “Hillary is 100 percent controlled by corporate interests, including foreign corporate interests, and it is essential these emails see the light of day.”

Alec Siegel

Alec Siegel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. When he’s not working at Law Street he’s either cooking a mediocre tofu dish or enjoying a run in the woods. His passions include: gooey chocolate chips, black coffee, mountains, the Animal Kingdom in general, and John Lennon. Baklava is his achilles heel. Contact Alec at ASiegel@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post State Department to Withhold Some Clinton Emails Until After Election appeared first on Law Street.

America’s grandma is at it again. And like most of our grandmas, she also doesn’t know how to effectively communicate over email.

It seems she has found herself in a bit of a conundrum yet again.

A woman named Maddi has taken the Internet by storm this week after posting an aggressive, yet intimate email she claims she was sent by Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. The email said,

After tonight’s results roll in, keep this in mind: most of the country casts their primary ballots by the middle of March. We absolutely, critically need to make sure Hillary comes out on top in the states that lie ahead.

Okay, so not too bad. Not too aggressive…yet. And then,

Julia Bryant

Julia Bryant is an Editorial Senior Fellow at Law Street from Howard County, Maryland. She is a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park, pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Economics. You can contact Julia at JBryant@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post #ImNotKiddingMaddi: Read My Article Now appeared first on Law Street.

Hillary Clinton’s emails have become a weird point of contention in the 2016 Presidential primaries. After it was discovered that she had sent emails from a private email address while serving as Secretary of State, many critics clamored for her to release them. Slowly, they’ve been declassified, and we’ve truly gotten to see some gems along the way. Here are the top five funniest Hillary Clinton emails from the most recent declassification:

5. She Really Likes Tea and Good TV

As if I needed another reason to like @HillaryClinton… she likes Parks and Rec too!! #emailpic.twitter.com/bCR23p6OIM

— Dakota Nichols (@NotJesseBrdford) September 1, 2015

Who doesn’t love a warm cup of tea from their own teacup? Also, “The Good Wife” is a fantastic show, and I’m sure Leslie Knope would be thrilled to hear one of her heroines is a big fan of “Parks and Rec.”

4. Hillary’s “hPad”

In one email, Clinton receives a notification that her new iPad has arrived. She’s very excited about this fact, and tells Huma Abedin “This is exciting news–do you think you can teach me to use it on the flight to Kiev next week?” For some reason in the subject line she calls it an “hpad”–is that a typo or a cute play on her first initial? All we know is that she’s generally pretty excited about the internet.

3. Hillz Was the Only One in DC Who Didn’t Celebrate a Snow Day

Hillary Clinton, incredulous over government shutting down due to bad weather. pic.twitter.com/MdBN3ZvI0o

— Kyle Blaine (@kyletblaine) September 1, 2015

To be fair, this city can be paralyzed over approximately one inch of snow, and it’s a bit embarrassing.

2. Hillary’s Shoe Problems

.@HillaryClinton to-do list, apparently: ✓ get gefilte fish ✓ drink w/@SenatorBarb ✓ tape Parks&Rec ✓ buy new shoes pic.twitter.com/nhduGVH9Un

— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) September 1, 2015

Apparently, she at one point lost a shoe while going to greet former French President Nicholas Sarkozy. But like a true champ, she laughs it off, and seems quite amused by her clumsiness. She wrote:

Thx, but did you see the photos of my shoe falling off as I reached the top step of the Elysee to be created by Sarkozy? Very funny–I’ll bring them to show you.

That’s certainly a significantly better response than her last shoe incident. 

1. The Famous Gefilte Fish Email

This email has now gone pretty viral. It’s been heralded as the funniest of the bunch, and I tend to agree.

Hillary Clinton wrote an email about gefilte fish. I explain: http://t.co/IjUBOgnWygpic.twitter.com/8SReL4F01L — Yair Rosenberg (@Yair_Rosenberg) September 1, 2015

While there’s a longer context attached to this email, the combination of the subject line and the email itself are too fantastically hilarious to ignore. 

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post Top Five Funniest Hillary Clinton Emails from the Recent Release appeared first on Law Street.

How often do you forget to respond to emails? The subject is usually not interesting enough or there are many other, more important emails you have to respond to. So, who’s to say your emails aren’t receiving the same response, or lack thereof?

Whether you’re working to reach sources before a deadline, applying for a position, or merely trying to network, making your emails stand out is a top priority. Here are some tips on how to ensure your emails are not lost in the shuffle.

1. Start your email with a catchy phrase. These phrases may include something along the lines of “Good news!” or “I’ve completed this research for you.” If you start the email off with an attention grabber, your audience will be more likely to care about the remaining content of your email and more inclined to respond. Are you applying for a job and trying to stand out in the sea of applicants? The more personalized your email is, the more likely you are to grab your readers’ attention.
2. Summarize the message content in the subject line. Be as specific and concise as possible in your subject lines. Vague subjects are uninteresting and less likely to be opened. Subjects are especially important for chain emails–reduce the confusion by clarifying the new topic of each response. When applying for a specific position be straightforward in your subject line, e.g. “Mary Smith’s Application Materials for Associate Account Executive.”
3. Avoid trigger words. Mailchimp suggests avoiding these three words: “Help,” “Percent off” and “Reminder.” Though these words won’t necessarily trigger spam filters, they increase the probability that readers will ignore your emails because they are usually found in emails that are spam-related.
4. Write with your audience in mind. Start off your message by engaging your audience. You can do this by beginning with something like “You asked me to complete this task…” You should also complete the message with a “you” in mind. Engaging your reader by emphasizing the completion of their wishes will increase the likelihood of your audience taking your message into account.
5. Avoid repeating subject lines. According to Mailchimp, recipients are less likely to open subject lines that are repetitive of previously received emails. Whether you are sending out a listserv, event reminder or weekly update, try to be creative. This will get your emails noticed and help build a consistent reading audience.
6. Keep messages simple. Each message should have one main topic. If you are planning an event or coordinating a lunch, that should be the sole subject of the email. When too many topics are involved in a message, the reader becomes overwhelmed and may not take the time to deal with responding to various topics. This strategy is especially important for chain emails. When applying to jobs or internships, keep your message (in some cases this may be your cover letter) as straightforward as possible. Explain who you are, which position you’re applying for and how your experiences and skills can overall benefit the organization.

From promotional emails, to newsletters to logistical emails to job applications, email has become a part of young professional life that cannot be avoided. Wading through thousands of emails each day is a tedious task Millennials are all too familiar with. Standing out in the wave of all those unread messages can prove to be a difficult task, but by using these tips your emails will not be ignored.

—

Natasha Paulmeno (@NatashaPaulmeno) is an aspiring PR professional studying at the University of Maryland. She is learning to speak Spanish fluently through travel, music, and school. In her spare time she enjoys Bachata music, playing with her dog, and exploring social media trends.

Natasha Paulmeno

Natasha Paulmeno is an aspiring PR professional studying at the University of Maryland. She is learning to speak Spanish fluently through travel, music, and school. In her spare time she enjoys Bachata music, playing with her dog, and exploring social media trends. Contact Natasha at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

The post The Capitalista’s Tips for Writing Kick-Ass Emails appeared first on Law Street.

Everyday professionals spend at least a quarter of their time at work sending and receiving emails. It’s our primary form of communication — it’s fast and easy. And yet in spite of the amount of time we dedicate to emailing, many users still make mistakes that undermine their professionalism. Trove provided a list of some of the most important tips for good email etiquette; below are some of the most vital tips you need to know when sending professional emails.

• Ditch your AIM email from sixth grade: Whether you work for yourself or a large organization, your email should reflect your name in some way. No professional is going to take seriously an email from sexychick99@aol.com; it’s time to trash the the old email and get a new one. Use some combination of your name so that the recipient can easily tell who is sending the message.

• Go easy on the exclamation points: Exclamation points should only be used to convey excitement, according to career coach Barbara Pachter. Overuse of exclamation points can come off as immature or emotional. Try to avoid using them completely, unless something is actually exciting.

• Use subject lines to convey your message: People open emails based on the subject. If you use a brief, descriptive phrase to correctly convey what your message is about, the recipient is more likely to open your email. Something like, “Tomorrow’s lunch meeting rescheduled” or ”Reservations confirmed” works just fine. Stick with something short and sweet.

• Don’t use informal greetings: We use email so much it’s easy to forget that “hey” and “yo” are not acceptable in a professional setting. These salutations are totally inappropriate for the workplace and should be avoided in emails. Stick with “hello” or “good afternoon” to stay professional. “Sincerely” is always appropriate for professional emails.

• Avoid typos at all costs: Avoiding typos is absolutely imperative. It’s so easy to misspell a word when you’re typing a quick email, but you will be judged if you do. Reread your emails before you hit send to ensure you avoid typos. Autocorrect don’t always do the trick, so don’t rely solely on the automatic spell checker.

• Make sure you’re emailing the correct person: Just like a typo, entering the incorrect email is extremely easy to do. But try to make sure you don’t accidentally email the wrong person! One way to avoid doing so is by entering the email address last. This way no one is embarrassed and the information is relayed to the right person.

• Be considerate of the recipient’s culture: If you are emailing someone who does not speak the same native language as you, be considerate of varying cultural norms. This can help avoid miscommunication. If you tailor your message to your audience, by using simple words for example, the exchange will run smoother.

Next time you go to press send on a work email think about these tips. Did you start off saying “hey” or miss a comma? Paying closer attention to these seemingly minor details can increase your professionalism and bolster the way you’re perceived by others in the workplace. As you continue to use email as a central method for communication in your career, implementing good habits can only benefit your reputation.

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Natasha Paulmeno (@NatashaPaulmeno) is an aspiring PR professional studying at the University of Maryland. She is learning to speak Spanish fluently through travel, music, and school. In her spare time she enjoys Bachata music, playing with her dog, and exploring social media trends.

Natasha Paulmeno

Natasha Paulmeno is an aspiring PR professional studying at the University of Maryland. She is learning to speak Spanish fluently through travel, music, and school. In her spare time she enjoys Bachata music, playing with her dog, and exploring social media trends. Contact Natasha at staff@LawStreetMedia.com.

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