One
of
the
small
rituals
of
law
firm
life
is
that
attorneys
frequently
send
exit
emails
to
the
colleagues
they
leave
behind
on
their
last
day
of
work. These
emails
are
usually
warm,
funny,
and
help
attorneys
leave
positive
impressions
that
might
serve
them
well
as
they
move
throughout
their
careers. During
my
time
at
four
different
law
firms
before
starting
my
own
practice,
I
received
dozens
of
such
exit
emails,
and
attorneys
should
keep
a
few
things
in
mind
when
crafting
the
perfect
one.
Be
Warm
Attorneys
often
do
not
have
the
most
positive
emotions
about
supervisors
and
co-workers. This
is
because
legal
practice
can
be
a
grind,
and
some
personalities
at
law
firms
might
be
difficult
to
handle. Indeed,
some
attorneys
leave
law
firms
since
they
simply
cannot
contend
with
managers
who
frequently
assign
them
work.
However,
it
is
usually
best
to
take
a
warm
and
thankful
tone
when
crafting
an
attorney
exit
email. Lawyers
may
wish
to
thank
the
people
with
whom
they
worked
and
reflect
on
the
growth
they
experienced
during
their
time
at
a
firm. The
legal
community
is
much
smaller
than
people
may
think,
and
there
is
a
solid
chance
that
attorneys
will
see
co-workers
on
future
matters.
Indeed,
co-workers
might
even
be
critical
for
attorneys
to
secure
opportunities
in
the
future. Accordingly,
it
is
best
not
to
burn
bridges
and
to
focus
on
the
positive
aspects
of
working
at
a
law
firm.
Be
Funny
The
best
attorney
exit
emails
I
have
ever
seen
are
hilarious
missives
that
are
laugh-out-loud
funny. Some
people
might
find
it
challenging
to
be
funny
in
the
two-dimensional
format
of
an
attorney
exit
email,
but
with
the
right
wording,
you
can
impart
a
significant
amount
of
humor. Often,
the
easiest
way
is
to
poke
gentle
fun
at
the
firm,
its
policies,
or
—
if
you’re
feeling
bold
—
the
managers. If
done
with
enough
finesse,
you
can
gain
the
respect
of
co-workers
and
depart
a
shop
with
some
levity.
One
time,
I
compiled
an
attorney
exit
email
that
I
tried
to
make
as
funny
as
possible. I
made
a
number
of
height-related
jokes
—
I
am
6
feet
8
1/2
inches
tall
—
which
seemed
like
they
landed
well. I
also
individually
thanked
all
of
the
top
brass
at
the
shop,
and
I
gave
a
nickname
to
each
of
the
partners
that
was
funny
but
not
too
mean. People
liked
that
touch,
and
some
of
the
partners
stopped
by
my
office
on
my
last
day
to
tell
me
that
they
appreciated
the
nicknames. There
is
an
extremely
delicate
balance
between
being
funny
and
mean,
but
if
you
can
strike
that
balance,
you
can
have
an
especially
memorable
exit
email.
Tell
People
Your
Plans
One
thing
some
people
forget
to
do
in
exit
emails
is
to
tell
people
what
they
will
be
doing
after
they
leave
a
shop. It
is
easy
enough
to
look
on
LinkedIn
for
details
about
a
lawyer’s
next
job,
but
if
you
tell
co-workers
about
your
plans
in
an
exit
email,
it
is
possible
that
co-workers
can
talk
with
you
about
your
plans
while
you
are
still
in
the
office.
Traditionally,
lawyers
leave
their
personal
contact
information
in
exit
emails
since
the
work
email
will
presumably
be
deactivated. These
days,
this
part
of
an
exit
email
no
longer
seems
obligatory
as
people
can
easily
find
lawyers
on
social
media.
I’d
love
to
hear
any
stories
about
exit
emails
from
readers
of
this
column,
I’m
sure
there
have
been
some
epic
ones
over
the
years. And
if
lawyers
keep
a
few
things
in
mind,
they
can
be
sure
to
write
a
notable
exit
email
that
leaves
a
positive
impression
after
they
depart
from
a
firm.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.