I’ve taken the plunge. Yesterday I decided that I couldn’t publish another post about Twitter without trying it out for myself. So here I am 24-hours later — a Twitter neophyte. Luckily, I’ve found some kind guides in @dougcornelius, @stevematthews and @jackvinson. Thank you, gentlemen.

A single day does not an expert make. Nonetheless, one of the first things that struck me as I tried tweeting today was that Twitter’s 140 character limit can be a real challenge. This, of course, led me to the following conclusion: every lawyer should be encouraged to tweet. Regular use of Twitter would teach the discipline of being concise. No more run on sentences. No room for legalese. More short, declarative, pithy phrases. For those of us who endorse a Plain English approach, this is nirvana.

So based on my one day’s worth of experience, I’d suggest that we start promoting Twitter in our law firms. If we’re really lucky, it could change legal writing for the better. (Okay, I admit that I’m getting a little carried away here. Chalk it up to the enthusiasm of a beginner.)

For others interested in taking the plunge, here’s a great introduction to Twitter by Meg Roberts, with some helpful links to get you started.