What’s a Lawyer Without a BlackBerry? President

Legal Technology

What’s a Lawyer Without a BlackBerry? President

Posted Nov 17, 2008, 10:16 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Like many lawyers, Barack Obama relies on his BlackBerry to e-mail colleagues and friends, catch up on news or review work. But he may soon be forced to give up his electronic link to the outside world.

The New York Times cites a couple reasons. First, are the fears that a hacker could access the president’s e-mail. Second are concerns about the disclosure of the president’s e-mail under the Presidential Records Act and the possibility of subpoenas.

President George W. Bush gave up his e-mail a few days before he took office, explaining why in an e-mail to friends. "Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace,” he said. Former President Bill Clinton didn’t use e-mail either, the Associated Press reports.

While Obama may give up e-mail, he plans to become the first president to have a laptop in the Oval Office, the story says. Yet another first is the way Obama’s Democratic radio address this week is being chronicled. It was videotaped and will be archived on YouTube.

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Posted by B. McLeod - 1 month, 3 weeks, 9 hours, 45 minutes ago

Alas. Had there but been a way to prevent Mr. Bush’s public conversations being looked at by those out to embarrass.

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