Discussion on Giving Legal Advice On-Line, Waivers, etc. For what its worth, I find the whole idea rather troubling.
Many lawyers dish out legal advice over discussion groups, Compuserve forums and so forth.
Equally troubling is that the advice is usually dished out in a public forum, which is highly inappropriate. Indeed, the waiver itself suggests that the lawyer is afraid without it, it would be legal advice. If a lawyer is unsure whether or not a public post could be construed as giving legal advice, the lawyer ought to refrain from posting it. I think there is a great deal of merit in not identifying oneself as an attorney in one's email. Because there is no attorney-client relationship, the post recipient is warned not to disclose any confidential information, and the dangers of an adverse party gaining advantage by eavesdropping on the post are minimal.