Making the Most of Your Time: How to Use the 80:20 Rule to Prioritize Your Work

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published April 20, 2010

By Harrison Barnes, CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search

So, what is the eighty-twenty rule? Nowadays, it seems to have become standard industrial jargon without many of us apprehending its true focus and application. The Pareto analysis is a tool that helps you prioritize your work in a manner so that by using 20% of your efforts and time you can get 80% of that work done, which under normal conditions would have involved 100% of your efforts and time. This is how you can become more productive vis-a-vis available time and resources.

In the legal field, it often seems that most work already have priorities ascribed to them due to exigencies. You are just to follow those priorities and everything will get done. This was true as long as the traditional, linear workflow used to be followed. But in a modern environment, multitasking comes as part of the job, and one must learn how to successfully juggle priorities. This is where the Pareto analysis comes in. Incidentally, if you are wondering, Vincento Pareto was an Italian economist who observed that in almost every society, 80% of the wealth was owned by 20% of the population.

Essentially, Pareto analysis is an extremely simple method that involves:

Listing down the work you have to do, the problems, and all available options
Grouping the problems or options where they are part of the same larger problem or option
Ascribing scores to each group
Prioritizing work in descending order and start working first on the group that has the highest score

The thing to take into account when applying the Pareto analysis is that each bit of work already has its own priority according to situations and circumstances. You need to consider these pre-ascribed priorities to find your scoring method, and this will differ from problem to problem.

Another thing to keep in mind is that there are many methods to prioritize your work and like everything else, the Pareto analysis is not universally applicable. It comes in most handy in confusing situations and in situations where you have the luxury to prioritize. Sometimes, the work on hand is already of high importance and spending time to prioritize doesn't make sense. Then you do, what has to be done immediately, and for the rest of the work prioritize and plan their execution.

Let's consider an example. The problem is that clients are leaving your firm and you need to put things into order. The first thing you do is try to find out the reason and create solutions. Among client complaints, you find:

Clients are not given patient hearing and most have to visit multiple times to get things across increasing their expenses both in time and money
Clients often find their appointments are postponed
The staff is unorganized and unsure of what is required to be done
Phones keep on ringing and are not picked up

Now you group together the problems:

Lack of preparation: items No. 1 and 3 (31 complaints)
Lack of staff: items No. 2 and 4 (17 complaints)

By doing this analysis, you learn that 64% of the problem, (31/31+17) can be tackled by first addressing the problem of lack of preparation. Once, the staff makes it mandatory to be fully prepared in time, you might find that clients do not have to make multiple visits and as a result part of the second problem, i.e., postponement of appointments takes care of itself. Once things fall into place, it is possible that phones too, will no more be unattended and the need to increase staff has reduced in importance.

This is a simple example of how prioritization works. Methodical prioritization is always better than instinctive solutions. Probably, under normal methods, staff would have been recruited immediately to answer the phones with the actual problems lying unaddressed. But with Pareto analysis, we can get to the root of the problem properly and address it in a more effective manner.

About Harrison Barnes

No legal recruiter in the United States has placed more attorneys at top law firms across every practice area than Harrison Barnes. His unmatched expertise, industry connections, and proven placement strategies have made him the most influential legal career advisor for attorneys seeking success in Big Law, elite boutiques, mid-sized firms, small firms, firms in the largest and smallest markets, and in over 350 separate practice areas.

A Reach Unlike Any Other Legal Recruiter

Most legal recruiters focus only on placing attorneys in large markets or specific practice areas, but Harrison places attorneys at all levels, in all practice areas, and in all locations—from the most prestigious firms in New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., to small and mid-sized firms in rural markets. Every week, he successfully places attorneys not only in high-demand practice areas like corporate and litigation but also in niche and less commonly recruited areas such as:

Immigration law
Workers’ compensation
Insurance defense
Family law
Trusts & estates
Municipal law
And many more...

This breadth of placements is unheard of in the legal recruiting industry and is a testament to his extraordinary ability to connect attorneys with the right firms, regardless of market size or practice area.

Proven Success at All Levels

With over 25 years of experience, Harrison has successfully placed attorneys at over 1,000 law firms, including:

Top Am Law 100 firms such including Sullivan and Cromwell, and almost every AmLaw 100 and AmLaw 200 law firm.
Elite boutique firms with specialized practices
Mid-sized firms looking to expand their practice areas
Growing firms in small and rural markets

He has also placed hundreds of law firm partners and has worked on firm and practice area mergers, helping law firms strategically grow their teams.

Unmatched Commitment to Attorney Success – The Story of BCG Attorney Search

Harrison Barnes is not just the most effective legal recruiter in the country, he is also the founder of BCG Attorney Search, a recruiting powerhouse that has helped thousands of attorneys transform their careers. His vision for BCG goes beyond just job placement; it is built on a mission to provide attorneys with opportunities they would never have access to otherwise. Unlike traditional recruiting firms, BCG Attorney Search operates as a career partner, not just a placement service. The firm’s unparalleled resources, including a team of over 150 employees, enable it to offer customized job searches, direct outreach to firms, and market intelligence that no other legal recruiting service provides. Attorneys working with Harrison and BCG gain access to hidden opportunities, real-time insights on firm hiring trends, and guidance from a team that truly understands the legal market. You can read more about how BCG Attorney Search revolutionizes legal recruiting here: The Story of BCG Attorney Search and What We Do for You.

The Most Trusted Career Advisor for Attorneys

Harrison’s legal career insights are the most widely followed in the profession.

His articles on BCG Search alone are read by over 150,000 attorneys per month, making his guidance the most sought-after in the legal field. Read his latest insights here.
He has conducted hundreds of hours of career development webinars, available here: Harrison Barnes Webinar Replays.
His placement success is unmatched—see examples here: Harrison Barnes' Attorney Placements.
He has created numerous comprehensive career development courses, including BigLaw Breakthrough, designed to help attorneys land positions at elite law firms.

Submit Your Resume to Work with Harrison Barnes

If you are serious about advancing your legal career and want access to the most sought-after law firm opportunities, Harrison Barnes is the most powerful recruiter to have on your side.

Submit your resume today to start working with him: Submit Resume Here.

With an unmatched track record of success, a vast team of over 150 dedicated employees, and a reach into every market and practice area, Harrison Barnes is the recruiter who makes career transformations happen and has the talent and resources behind him to make this happen.

A Relentless Commitment to Attorney Success

Unlike most recruiters who work with only a narrow subset of attorneys, Harrison Barnes works with lawyers at all stages of their careers, from junior associates to senior partners, in every practice area imaginable. His placements are not limited to only those with "elite" credentials—he has helped thousands of attorneys, including those who thought it was impossible to move firms, find their next great opportunity.

Harrison’s work is backed by a team of over 150 professionals who work around the clock to uncover hidden job opportunities at law firms across the country. His team:

Finds and creates job openings that aren’t publicly listed, giving attorneys access to exclusive opportunities.
Works closely with candidates to ensure their resumes and applications stand out.
Provides ongoing guidance and career coaching to help attorneys navigate interviews, negotiations, and transitions successfully.

This level of dedicated support is unmatched in the legal recruiting industry.

A Legal Recruiter Who Changes Lives

Harrison believes that every attorney—no matter their background, law school, or previous experience—has the potential to find success in the right law firm environment. Many attorneys come to him feeling stuck in their careers, underpaid, or unsure of their next steps. Through his unique ability to identify the right opportunities, he helps attorneys transform their careers in ways they never thought possible.

He has worked with:

Attorneys making below-market salaries who went on to double or triple their earnings at new firms.
Senior attorneys who believed they were “too experienced” to make a move and found better roles with firms eager for their expertise.
Attorneys in small or remote markets who assumed they had no options—only to be placed at strong firms they never knew existed.
Partners looking for a better platform or more autonomy who successfully transitioned to firms where they could grow their practice.

For attorneys who think their options are limited, Harrison Barnes has proven time and time again that opportunities exist—often in places they never expected.

Submit Your Resume Today – Start Your Career Transformation

If you want to explore new career opportunities, Harrison Barnes and BCG Attorney Search are your best resources. Whether you are looking for a BigLaw position, a boutique firm, or a move to a better work environment, Harrison’s expertise will help you take control of your future.

? Submit Your Resume Here to get started with Harrison Barnes today.

Alternative Summary

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

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