We've had a tough year in Pennsylvania, with scandals hitting our justice system at its highest echelons in ways that shocked and dismayed us, and made traveling to other jurisdictions just a little bit painful. I've given some thought to lessons learned and come up with a list of resolutions that include both the philosophical and the practical. So here's this year's advice, hitting issues large and small, related to our profession, our work and our personal lives.

1. Of all the risks we take every day, the riskiest thing we do by far is hitting the send button. Email is not a private conversation; we are always one forwarder away from exposure. No matter what you're sending, resolve to review it carefully and make sure of at least two things: you're sending what you want to send and that it's going to the correct addressee.

2. Be clear in your communications and be sensitive to the experiences of other people. This isn't about “political correctness,” this is about practicing law in a diverse world in which we resolve to treat each person with respect, which is different from tolerance.