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Time Management Tips for Lawyers: Strategies to Maximize Your Productivity

published March 08, 2023

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( 28 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
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BCG Attorney Search is the nation's largest and most geographically diverse recruiting firm specializing exclusively in permanent attorney placements. They currently have more attorney openings, in more practice areas and locations, than any other legal recruiting firm.
 
Summary

Time management is key to success in any job or business endeavor. Understanding how to manage your time effectively can help you increase productivity, reduce stress, and even improve your health. It can also save you time and energy in the long run. Here are some tips to help you better manage your time:


• Set realistic goals: Start by setting realistic goals that are achievable. This will help you stay on task and stay focused.

• Prioritize tasks: Identify the most important tasks and focus on those first. This will help you avoid getting sidetracked and wasting time.

• Make a plan: Make a plan for the day and stick to it. This will help you stay organized and stay on top of your tasks.

• Take breaks: Don't forget to take regular breaks throughout the day. This will help you stay energized and motivated.

• Get rid of distractions: It can be tempting to check your email, phone, or social media throughout the day, but try to avoid these distractions as much as possible.

• Take technology breaks: Allocating time away from technology can help you focus and be more productive.

• Delegate tasks: Don't be afraid to delegate tasks to other people. This will free up more of your time and energy.

• Track your progress: Track your progress with a diary or goal tracking app. This will help you stay on track and make sure you're being productive.

By implementing these tips, you can better manage your time and increase your productivity. Time management is essential for any job and can help you achieve your goals with less stress and anxiety. Start by setting realistic goals, prioritize tasks, make a plan, take breaks, get rid of distractions, take technology breaks, delegate tasks, and track your progress. This will help you stay organized and get the most out of your day.
 

Time is Valuable

Time management is a critical skill that enables busy professionals to get tasks done quickly and efficiently. Being able to manage time effectively can have a huge impact on one's personal and professional life. With an effective time-management system, a professional can achieve more in less time and be better prepared for the challenges that life throws their way.
 

Create Daily Schedules

Creating daily schedules is one of the most important aspects of effective time management. By taking the time to create a plan for each day, it becomes easier to prioritize and complete tasks in a timely manner. This includes scheduling tasks, setting deadlines, and taking breaks when needed. Furthermore, it's helpful to break down large tasks into smaller ones that can be completed with greater efficiency.
 

Make the Most of Deadlines

Another important element of effective time management involves making the most of deadlines. Setting a deadline before starting a task is a great way to ensure that the task is completed on time. It is also important to plan ahead, so that if any obstacle arises, it can be addressed in a timely manner. Additionally, it is beneficial to have a trusted friend or colleague who can act as a sounding board for ideas.
 

Set Reasonable Goals

In order to effectively manage time, it is important to set realistic goals that are achievable and measurable. Taking the time to properly assess one's available resources, skills, and abilities can help in setting achievable goals. Additionally, it is important to set both short-term and long-term goals that have achievable deadlines.
 

Organize Your Space and Your Tasks

Essential to effective time management is organization. Taking the time to organize and prioritize tasks can help ensure that everything will be done on schedule. Additionally, it is important to keep one's workspace organized and free of clutter. This means eliminating distractions that could derail a task or delay it unnecessarily.

The struggle to balance career and family is not a new problem, but one that many employers have recently started to address and implement policies about. These changes are no longer an administrative annoyance, but are being recognized as actually adding value to firms and giving them an edge in a competitive environment. Obviously, having two working parents in a household is not uncommon, nor is single parent support of the family — it is becoming the norm. Individuals need to find time for responsibilities outside of work. Therefore, it is important that firms address their level of commitment to institutionalizing and publicizing support for alternative work schedules.

Increasingly, firm policy on alternative work arrangements has become a hot button issue. Even attorneys who do not necessarily have children, or even expect to have any, find it an important indicator of a firm's culture. Today's attorneys are looking to join a progressive firm that values the importance of family and community. As you research different firms during your job search, it is important to find out as much information as possible regarding their policies on alternative work arrangements and gauge how important their views on the issue are to you.
 
Overcoming the Stigmas of Alternative Work Arrangements

Many attorneys refuse to approach firm management about reducing their time in the office. Unfortunately, many feel it would be detrimental to their careers to even mention the possibility of cutting back. The impression of most law firms is that billing long, horrific numbers of hours is the only way to succeed. In fact, a study by the National Association of Law Placement found that although 96 percent of law firms surveyed offered part-time positions, only 4.1 percent of attorneys actually took advantage. Listed below are some common stigmas about going part-time, as well as information as to why they no longer hold true:
 
  1. "I am afraid of receiving marginal work."
    Firms are always looking for rainmakers and value attorneys who have excellent client relationships. If you prove that you are an expert in your area, enjoy the practice of law and simply want to balance your lifestyle, firms will continue to provide you with challenging work. There are plenty of unproductive associates spending longer hours in the office, but not producing quality work. Attorneys who know your value and ability to handle sophisticated work will continue to bring you interesting and complex projects.
     
  2. "If I am part-time, I will blow my chances of one day becoming partner."
    Part-time partners or part-time attorneys on a partner track may be a rarity, but it's not necessarily because the firm won't allow it, but that many choose not to pursue it. With today's technology, firms realize attorneys don't have to be sitting behind their desk to be working. It is important to seek out firms that will be flexible, as long as you are also willing to be accommodating. In addition, firms recognize that a fair majority of attorneys requesting part-time positions are women. Most are focused on increasing their number of female partners and will work with them in an effort to keep them on track.
     
  3. "Part-timers don't seem committed to the firm. I'd be the first to go if there were cutbacks."
    More and more firms tout themselves as "lifestyle firms." This catch phrase is often used as a response to the "What makes you different?" question. This all comes from the recognition of the fact that caring about life outside of work does not indicate a lack of dedication to the practice of law.
     
  4. "Why should they keep me around if I'm not billing the hours? They'll say I'm costing them money as opposed to making them profitable." Of course, a firm's main concern must be the bottom line, as it has to generate a profit in order to survive. Ultimately, you may not earn as much as some full-timers but that doesn't mean you're costing the firm money. All firms recognize the value of a long-term investment and how much money is spent training attorneys, only to have them leave and have another firm benefit. Again, client relationships, quality of work and your mental health are more important than cutting back some hours during the week. Because longevity reaps many rewards, firms want to keep their attorneys happy and will bend to accommodate their needs.
     
  5. "The clients won't want to work with me, they'll be afraid I won't be around for them."
    Clients increasingly have diversity requirements when it comes to selecting their counsel. As for the male/female ratio, clients recognize that flexibility equals higher morale which ultimately equals higher retention. Clients appreciate the "institutional knowledge" of their counsel and have no desire to continuously train new attorneys. In addition, many are supportive of reduced-hours or flex-time because, quite honestly, they notice little difference in the availability of their attorney. They realize attorneys are competent professionals who have no desire to ignore their client.
     
  6. "The firm says they support alternative schedules, but they don't even have a policy in place and I've never heard anyone in management mention the possibility."
    Many firms will say they have alternative schedules, but do not have a written policy, which may reflect a lack of dedication on the part of the firm. Firms should have a specific written policy stating fair and steadfast guidelines that are available and more importantly, publicized, to all attorneys. If a policy is not addressed, attorneys will more than likely assume it is discouraged. It is important to ensure a policy is in place, rather than discovering options through informal networks, such as word-of-mouth.
     
  7. "Other associates in the group will resent me, they'll say I'm the reason they have to put more hours in and don't have enough time for their own families."
    Resentment and isolation by their colleagues is a legitimate concern for attorneys who decide to work an alternative schedule. Aside from proving that you are still making a valuable contribution to the practice, it is really up to the firm itself to publicize its support and make it known that it is a viable option for everyone, not just a chosen few. For this reason, it is important that you are aware of your firm's commitment to this practice and ensure their support, from management on down.
     
  8. "I am sure no male attorneys ever ask for part-time, they'll laugh at me."
    Most people are aware that flexible scheduling is no longer only an issue with women, particularly in the field of law. Women are the growing majority in law firms and they may place just as much of an emphasis, if not more, on their careers. This allows men the opportunity to spend more time with their families, while not sacrificing the overall level of income the household receives. Men can be just as conflicted about their time away from home, they just tend to be less vocal about it.

    Firms are changing policy daily to accommodate and attract new attorneys. They recognize that although people still have a loyalty and commitment to their firm, they have an equal dedication to quality of life outside of work. Of course, some or all of the concerns listed above still exist in some firm cultures. Therefore, it is essential to ask the questions and do your research before taking the next step in your career. If the issues above are important to you, you need to be sure that they are important to the firm as well. After all, a happy lawyer is a productive lawyer.

published March 08, 2023

( 28 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.

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