Patent ID: 8635285

Claim:
An electronic mail management system for categorizing electronic mail message communication, the electronic mail management system comprising a computer, the computer executing steps of: receiving electronic mail message components from an electronic mail sender, the electronic mail components including an identification of a recipient on a graphical user interface when composing an electronic mail message to be sent to the recipient; presenting a plurality of predetermined categories for classifying electronic mail messages to the electronic mail sender in the graphical user interface; receiving a first user selection from the predetermined categories for classifying the electronic mail messages; determining when the recipient is a member of a predetermined class of recipients; sending the electronic mail message to the recipient unless the first user selection is a category identified to be prevented from transmitting electronic mail messages, the first user selection being embedded in the graphical user interface when the recipient is a member of the predetermined class of recipients otherwise the electronic mail is sent without the first user selection embedded therein; restricting the electronic mail message when the electronic mail message is identified in an attorney-client privileged category in at least one of the following ways: by preventing the electronic mail message being sent outside of a company; preventing the electronic mail message being forwarded to any user; and preventing the electronic mail message being replied to in a “reply to all” manner; storing the electronic mail message in a predetermined category; wherein the predetermined categories for classifying electronic mail messages are associated with a send command or send button or a save command or a save button that is operable by the electronic mail sender for sending and saving the electronic message; wherein the send button is divided into two or more distinct button subsections, each subsections being associated with the predetermined categorizes; wherein an email management server checks exchange of messages to determine whether the recipient is compliant with categorization of electronic messages such that when the recipient is not compliant with the categorization of electronic messages, notifying the electronic mail sender or the recipient indicating denial of communication of the electronic message; and collecting statistics regarding user compliance with comparison to each of the predetermined categories for classifying electronic mail messages in the graphical user interface.