Learn From This Outstanding Law Firm Email Alert

Maria Pepe VanDerLaan, a partner in the Hartford, CT office of Murtha Cullina LLP, sent out an email alert last week to the firm’s healthcare practice list as well as to her own list.   Its title (and subject line) was: Mental Health Parity Lawsuit Filed Against Anthem and Wellpoint. (There’s a link to her original email at the bottom of this post.) I get an average of 15 such alerts each month from law firms big and small, and this one stands out as among the most effective I’ve ever seen.  Here’s why:

1. It includes a personal opening (instead of launching directly into impersonal facts)
2. Her passion for the topic comes through loud and clear
3. It’s timely and something almost everyone can relate to
4. The title is clear and direct
5. It’s very well written, using concise paragraphs (as opposed to the typical lawyeresque “text blocks of death” that turn readers away before they even start)
6. It contains useful links
7. It concludes with a personal close and an invitation to speak directly with the author

Want to write more effective email alerts?  Take a lesson from Maria.  Here’s the link to a web-based version of her email so you can read it in full in its original format.