The Unwritten Notes from Email Expert, Denzel Washington in Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Following the inciting incident of “Roman J. Israel Esq.,” a scene unfolds in the film currently available on Starz. It is a discordant dial-up where George Pierce, (Colin Farrell) and I, Roman (Denzel Washington) exchanged words. George’s sharp tones clashed with my iterative rhythm, creating a vivid legal web. In the midst of our far from bubbly chat, George mentioned sending an email to which — I dryly replied, “When people send email, they seem to think it goes straight to your brain.”

This dialogue transcended a mere legal clash, becoming a shadowy reflection on societal expectations surrounding email communication processes—a swift process from top to bottom that I do not quite understand— beyond the fact that an inexplicably opted in user should be protected from those who send account based marketing, loyalty programs, e-book, pdfs or overly coded promotional emails.

Furthermore, the reality of the 14th amendment asserts that email processes require due diligence, careful consideration, and adherence to multifaceted legal protocols that includes: email form verifications, single and double opt-in procedures, as well as requirements like unsubscribe headers and CAN-SPAM footers, even indicating the legal address of the email sender.

Fortunately for consumers unlike me, there are upcoming changes to protect consumers, like the the latests and greatest Gmail and Yahoo sender policies set to be implemented February 1, 2024 through June 1, 2024 for suckers who think lobbyist will protect them from consequences. There’s also initiatives such as Spamhaus 2023 introduction of informational listings, offering senders insights before their addresses land on blocklists — not to be mistaken for The Black List, which I enjoy their emails.

Ultimately, as we partake in the digital exchange, my words to boy George serve as a reminder that, even in an era marked by instantaneous communication, due process remains a cornerstone of justice in the legal realm. They underscore the complexity and careful navigation required within the intricate web of laws and protocols that even shape the relationship between senders, recipients, and the digital infrastructure itself that we call email.