Keep all the nasty emails

 Keep nasty emails from jerk lawyers and jerk humans. Keep all of them.

It's not high tech, but it can be useful for later litigation. 

You can’t “kill all the lawyers,” but there is a thing called a fate worse than death. That is humiliation…through description.

I know a ton of nice lawyers and a few--more than I'd care to--abusive lawyers. The lawyers I can't stand don't live anywhere around here. If I'm lucky, I won't ever have to see them again, but they are out there...lurking in the shadows. This raises the question: how do you deal with bullies you work with?

Like all great lawyer answers/non-answers, it depends on the situation. If you work for a bully, then it is difficult to fight back. Fortunately, I am a partner, and I don't have to allow someone to be nasty to me. While I am respectful, I can fight back.

It wasn't always that way. I worked for a firm in another state, and I won't name the firm. But one of the people I worked with. Let's call him "Jerry." Well...Jerry didn't have what we call in the South "charm." If there was an opposite of charm, that was Jerry.

I won't mince words: Jerry was (and still is I'm sure) a raging a******. I had a job a while back that was largely remote. This required me to communicate mainly by email. Jerry said many, many sharp things via email all of which I still have in my possession. Of course I kept copies. Jerry should have known this. I'm a litigator--he wasn't really--so of course I keep things. I kept everything.

Jerry is the kind of guy who searches for ways to delete excess spaces in documents using AI.

But…he forgets about what he says in emails. I’m assuming many people have kept their email correspondence with Jerry.

You never know when it will be useful.

I realize telling someone to f-off may not be an option. I did that in a nice way to Jerry, and then I left. So, that's not likely a solution.

Emails are key evidence in employment law claims.

Keep all the evidence of it. You never know when it might be useful. As for Jerry, the statute of limitations still hasn't expired. It may support claims for a hostile work environment, potential ADA claims if you are disabled, and wrongful termination claims.

Unfortunately nasty emails are on the rise, and they are bad for your health.

Your best bet is to ignore them as much as possible if you can while you keep good records.