Managing email can quickly turn into a full time job and decimate your billable hours. When I started practicing law in 1994, keeping on top of email was, to say the least, not a problem but each year the number of emails we receive on a daily basis seems to grow. We can easily spend our day jumping from one email to another in a disjointed fashion only to find ourselves wondering at the end of the day what we did for the last eight to ten hours. For lawyers, the tools we use to manage email must allow us to process email efficiently and do so in a way that fits into how we practice. Small efficiencies when used multiple times over the course of a day can significantly improve productivity. Here are a few ideas to help you increase efficiency.
1. Process email by client. For better or worse, many of us still live in the world of billable hours. Erratically addressing and responding to email usually causes inefficiency, frustration, stress and, ultimately, a loss of billable hours. Improve your practice and mental clarity by prioritizing your client load for the day then addressing all emails from each client in turn. This allows for greater continuity and clarity of thought, and fosters more meaningful time entries for billing purposes. Try a mixture of (i) sorting by subject or sender and (ii) using key word searches to help you isolate groups of email by client and topic and to make sure that no relevant emails are missed if your inbox is already too large. When you are finished addressing all emails from one client, move on to the next client. You may also find that this makes it easier to bill your time as you work.
2. Keep Your Inbox Empty and Use Folders. Set up client folders in Outlook and file emails as you address them. Outlook offers a variety of features and tools for keeping organized. I use the “Move to Folder” button found in the Actions pane at the top of each email and find it to be faster than dragging and dropping emails from my Inbox to individual client folders. Dragging and dropping works best for moving multiple emails all at once. Try limiting your Inbox to only those emails that require further attention, moving all other emails as soon as they have been addressed. Keeping your Inbox tidy promotes better organization and reduces the likelihood that a task will be overlooked.
3. Use Rules in Outlook. Found under the Tools menu in Outlook, Rules can be a powerful tool for assisting with email organization. A few examples illustrate the versatility of Rules. For many lawyers the emails they send out with agreements, draft documents, memos, briefs or other attachments will account for the vast majority of sent emails that they will later need to retrieve for reference purposes. Setting up a Rule that automatically files emails sent to a client with attachments in the client’s folder is a very effective means of improving organization. Many of us get regular reports and other recurring emails from a variety of sources both within and outside our firms. Often this information does not require immediate attention. A Rule that automatically files regularly recurring email in the appropriate folder is a hands-free way to manager your Inbox. Be careful though. Rules are a very powerful feature and can lead to unintended consequences if not set up properly. Automatically filing emails from your brother into a personal folder may sound great but if you are assisting him with his estate plan, he might not appreciate your lack of response when you don’t see his email for a week. Someone who is not technically adept would be well advised to seek assistance from an expert before setting up too many Rules.
4. Use What Works for You. Technology gives us so many tools. But not every tool works well for every lawyer. Tasks in Outlook are a great tool and I have tried them several times but I have never successfully integrated them into the way I practice. They didn’t work for me. That is okay. Try a variety of the tools Outlook offers and pick those that work best for you. A few small changes may just restore your sanity, for a little while at least!
Doug Poland is a Principal with ProLegal and specializes in real estate law and currently serves on his firm’s Technology Committees. With a B.S degree in Computer Science from Michigan State University and as a visionary in the use of technology to improve the quality and efficiency of the practice of law, Doug brings a unique set of skills to the ProLegal Systems team. Doug graduated cum laude from Wayne State Law School in Detroit Michigan. He is currently involved in various non-profit organizations and real estate industry organizations. Doug has previously served on his firm’s management committee and is a current member of the Management Core Group and the Technology Core Group of the Law Practice Management Section of the American Bar Association.