Dear WG Members: As we enter the phase of reviewing comments on our Initial report and Recommendations, the Co-Chairs wish to share their views as to how this WG should proceed to best ensure that our final work proceeds in an expeditious and comprehensive fashion. Subject to acceptance by the WG members, we propose the following--- * All WG sessions will be of 90 minutes' duration until further notice in order to best facilitate our goal of delivering a Final Report in advance of the ICANN 59 meeting taking place in Johannesburg in late June (we envision that the comment period will likely still be open during that meeting, and that a meeting session(s) can be utilized to explain and answer questions about that Report). * All comments having original content will receive an initial review (comments that simply endorse the filing of another party will not be reviewed, but that support will be noted in staff prepared documents summarizing the content of all comments). That initial review will not include substantive debate as to whether a comment requires some adjustment of our Initial Report. Rather, we will note all new material and/or arguments contained in all comments, and then will consolidate all duplicative material and arguments for detailed consideration in subsequent deliberations of the WG. * The WG will not spend time reconsidering materials and arguments that were already received and debated during the phase of our work preceding issuance of the Initial Report. Rather, we will focus on new assertions of fact and law as well as critiques of the Initial Report that raise issues not previously considered. * Given the complex legal and policy issues under discussion as well as the controversial aspects of this debate within ICANN, the Co-Chairs believe that it is very important that our Final Report list all new facts and legal arguments brought to our attention by the public comments and document the reasons why the WG accepted them and made commensurate adjustments, or rejected them and left initial recommendations intact. Thank you for your consideration of our thoughts on how we should proceed toward completion of our work. We welcome your feedback on our upcoming call today and on this email list. Best regards, Philip and Petter Philip S. Corwin, Founding Principal Virtualaw LLC 1155 F Street, NW Suite 1050 Washington, DC 20004 202-559-8597/Direct 202-559-8750/Fax 202-255-6172/Cell Twitter: @VlawDC "Luck is the residue of design" -- Branch Rickey