[arashvakil]

You could CC a lawyer’s email if you want to add some theatrical flair, but the real power move is in the perception of legal escalation, not an actual inbox ping to [e-mail]. The letter itself, dripping with "I know my rights" energy—is what gets people moving.

That said, if you do have a lawyer friend willing to play along, CC’ing them can add some weight. But most of the time, just sending a firm, well-written demand letter does the trick—no expensive legal cameos required.

[andrewfromx]

do you really even need the lawyer friend? The email might bounce but they won't see the bounce only you will. Think of a better name than JohnSmith of course, and you need to use a real lawyer domain so if they goto www.whatipicked.com its real. But does this get you into more trouble with that actual firm? You say the cc isn't needed but I feel like it really puts your letter in another category all together. The category of "oh boy, he got a lawyer, just give up."