Dear Reader:

I applaud your decision to visit the Richmond Journal of Law & Technology. If you are a newbie, Welcome to Cyberspace! If a seasoned net surfer, then you fully appreciate that the number and complexity of the legal issues facing the net is growing every day.

A law journal is a high minded undertaking. It reflects faith in the power of rational analysis and thoughtful discussion to improve the world. An electronic law journal is a particularly inspiring example of the genre, because it embodies optimism not only about the role of law but also about the way in which the new medium can change the relationship of lawyers and laypersons to the law.

As Ethan Katsh has observed, our current legal institutions and our profession might be said to have arisen from print. It was only when we had printed opinions -- a large body of standard text -- that there was a need for a distinct body of professionals to read and write that text. Perhaps the new electronic medium will give rise to fundamental changes in the nature of the profession, or indeed in law itself. We might speculate that the law will become more conversational -- and interactive -- in character. That should make it more responsive and responsible. If any such change occurs, I'll expect to read about it first, and in depth, in the Richmond Journal of Law & Technology.