How to Improve Law Firm Hiring and Retain Top Talent

Attracting and hiring young talent is a big, and necessary investment for a law firm. After going through the process of recruiting, screening, hiring, and training candidates, it’s important for law firms to do all they can to keep lawyers in the long term. If a young lawyer is brought in and leaves for better opportunities, law firms have to start from scratch and put the time and money into hiring another.

Attracting and retaining lawyers and bringing in fresh grads is competitive. Law firms looking to get to the top of the pool of talent need to focus on flexibility, diversity, positive company culture, growth opportunities, mentorship, and technological innovation.

Hiring is Competitive for Law Firms

41% of law firms have recently reported an increase in lateral hiring. While many experts found this trend unsustainable and anticipate it will cool down, there is still a great effort among law firms to raise salaries and adjust their hiring practices to align with the market.

This trend of salary increases leaves new lawyers and associates with a flood of options. Unprecedented salaries are now more common, so other factors like work-life balance and hybrid work are at the forefront. Flashy salaries may draw lawyers in, but it’s the quality that the employer brings to their life that makes them stay.

The Importance of Company Culture and Law Firm Hiring

Younger lawyers come out of law school with different priorities than they did years ago. These new lawyers are seeking out firms with opportunities for support and mentorship from experienced lawyers. They want to know they’re making a choice that has a positive impact on their legal career.

Law firms can attract these lawyers by nurturing a positive culture that’s as current on trends and innovations as possible. One of the most important aspects of this culture is the technology that supports time management and work-life balance.

Ongoing Support and Mentorship

As mentioned, young lawyers are looking for law firms that will serve their future. Law firms can be competitive environments in a dog-eat-dog industry, but these new lawyers aren’t looking for that kind of grind. They don’t want to be the hotshot – they want opportunities to learn and grow in their careers.

Firms that want to attract these lawyers should offer opportunities for growth and demonstrate an investment in their recruits. This may include career planning guidance, CLE training, professional development, and coaching services. These programs not only help young lawyers grow but show them that the firm is invested in them.

Better Work-Life Balance

Like all young professionals entering the workforce, young lawyers put more emphasis on flexibility and work-life balance than the hustle culture. They don’t want to be the “first in, last out” type or married to the job. They want to have a healthy personal life with time for family, travel, or hobbies.

No matter what, personal and professional lives can overlap and impact each other, but law firms can try to give associates time and space to manage their personal lives. In doing so, firms gain more productive and efficient lawyers who are loyal and satisfied with their jobs.

Law firms should also keep in mind that young lawyers are more open to remote and hybrid work environments. These options allow lawyers to balance their time better, skip the long commute and traffic, and be more productive overall.

The Need for Cutting-Edge Technology

Legal technology is an excellent way for law firms to attract law students or young lawyers. The legal industry is largely traditional, but it’s slowly shifting to adopt more innovation that improves processes or helps young lawyers maintain the flexibility they crave.

For example, young lawyers looking for remote or hybrid work can make the most of their work time with features like mobile apps, document management, and cloud-based access and storage. They can work from anywhere – courtroom, home, or office – and have the same access to the information and documentation they need.

Young lawyers are digital natives and can adapt to new technology solutions quickly. They know that they can gain more flexibility and fewer long hours with tools for law firm automation, time tracking, and remote communication. Firms that continue to use manual or paper processes are less likely to attract this top talent.

Leaving a Positive Impact In and Out of Your Law Firm

Younger lawyers have many different priorities than their predecessors, including a desire to make a difference in the world. This generation lived through a lot of historical events, suffered strife, and wants to create a positive impact with their law practice – even more than fame, status, or salary.

Law firms can attract this kind of talent with programs like impactful pro bono work and a commitment to justice, not just attracting the biggest and most expensive clients. They give back to the community and show their investment in others, whether through donations, volunteer programs, scholarships, or pro bono work.

Supporting Alternative Career Paths

Attractive law firms offer different paths and opportunities to make partner. Young lawyers can rest assured that they won’t have to put their lives on hold, such as waiting to get married and start a family, just to get their promotion. Firms can give associates the flexibility and freedom to choose when they want to take the next steps in their careers.

Alternatively, not every young lawyer wants to be on track to partner. If young lawyers aren’t seeking a partnership or leadership position, law firms can offer alternative career paths through professional coaching and training programs.

For example, young lawyers may wish to take their legal expertise and combine it with business areas to assist in running a firm, such as business management, legal technology, or human resources. This allows lawyers to find the best combination of skills and responsibilities for their needs.

Lawyers should also have the freedom to explore different practice areas and widen their skill set before investing a lot of time and energy into a practice area that doesn’t satisfy them.

Adopt Modern Processes to Enhance Your Law Firm’s Hiring

Attracting and retaining young lawyers and law students is difficult in a competitive market, but law firms can create an environment of support, continued learning, and technological innovation that keeps lawyers loyal and satisfied.

Legal time tracking software is the go-to method for lawyers tracking billable hours. This time tracking software works with the nuances of law practice, offering features such as multiple timers, mobile-friendliness, simplified invoice creation, and much more.

Time tracking software in 2024 is indispensable, especially for the demanding nature of legal work. If you’re an attorney searching for a simpler way to do billing, an attorney time tracking template, or even just ways to work more efficiently, you should be looking into legal time tracking software. Keep reading to learn about this helpful software, how it eases time tracking, and what features make for the best lawyer time tracking app.

How Do Lawyers Track Their Time?

More and more lawyers are using legal time tracking software to track their time. Historically, lawyers also used handwritten logs, spreadsheets, or even sticky notes, but the industry is quickly migrating towards digital as the standard. The American Bar Association reported that by the end of 2022, the majority of law firms (63%) were already using legal software of some kind — a number that has been steadily climbing since 2019.

Time tracking software provides a more convenient, accurate, and manageable method of accounting for billable hours. The best lawyer time tracking software also offers mobile-friendly interfaces, so attorneys can still track time effectively when they’re out of the office.

Regardless of the method a lawyer or firm uses to track time, some best practices are:

• Enter your time immediately. The sooner you capture time spent, the less likely you are to under or overestimate the hours. Adhering to this habit is one of the main benefits digital tracking provides: a way to quickly enter billable time into a single source of truth.

• Optimize your billing descriptions for client understanding. If clients can clearly see what you are billing for and why, they’re more likely to be satisfied with your work. Clients appreciate high attention to detail around billing, as it makes them see you are being intentional with the time they are paying you for.

• Offer multiple payment options. The easier it is for you to be paid, the more timely your clients’ payments will be — yet another aspect that digital time tracking software helps with. For example, software like Bill4Time supports multiple secure payment methods, making it easy for clients to pay their invoices safely.

• Regularly review and audit your time entries. Make it a habit to review your time entries weekly to catch any mistakes or omissions. This helps maintain accuracy and ensures you are billing correctly for all your work. Using software like Bill4Time can simplify this process by providing detailed reports and summaries for easy review.
  

Looking for more tips on how to track your time? Check out this informational article on billable hours best practices, from automating your billing to optimizing the timing of your invoices. 

How Are Billable Hours Tracked With Software?

Several features of law firm software aid the process of time tracking, such as:

• Timers: Use multiple timers for each task, allowing simple and accurate tracking. You can also view daily and weekly totals for billable time, giving you a clear picture of your work.
• Time and Expense Sorting: This feature lets lawyers search for billed time using filters like entry date, client name, and more. It simplifies finding specific entries and helps with accurate billing.
• Task Categorization: Organize different billable tasks for better accounting and client invoicing. This feature helps keep your billing clear and detailed.

Ultimately, time tracking software organizes, streamlines, and consolidates the process of tracking billable hours. It takes less time to enter and is simpler to generate detailed, easy-to-understand invoices for clients. Plus, your clients can pay their invoices through secure online portals tailored specifically for them.

What App Do Lawyers Use to Track Time?

Lawyers use time tracking apps specifically designed for capturing billable hours. Mobile friendliness is also critical for time tracking in the practice of law, as many attorneys have demanding schedules requiring them to be on the move constantly. Instead of manually recording hours upon returning to the office, a time tracking app allows you to easily log billable hours, whether in the office or the courtroom.

An app that is convenient, mobile-friendly, and tailored to the practice of law is best for lawyer time entry. Some examples of go-to software include Bill4Time, a software designed for lawyers to ease the process of tracking billable hours. 

Bill4Time offers many features to help law practices run more efficiently, from time tracking to invoice creation and even payment portals. Its mobile app makes it easier for attorneys on the go to track their billable time as they move between cases, clients, and various locations. 

What Is the App That Tracks Billable Time?

For quality software that tracks billable time in a mobile-friendly interface, Bill4Time is the right call. With simplified time tracking, at-the-ready invoice templates, and secure payment portals, Bill4Time has everything you need to streamline your billing process. 

Not only will your firm run more smoothly, but your clients will appreciate the detailed, thorough invoices Bill4Time helps you generate — a process that takes less time, effort, and stress from you. Best of all, you can do it all on the go, from any device!

If you’re a lawyer who’s ready to make time tracking a breeze, it’s time for Bill4Time. Try it out for free or schedule a free demo and see firsthand the difference it makes for your practice.

Legal work should center on serving clients, not drowning in administrative tasks. Balancing the books, managing calendars, and answering calls often cut into your day, leaving less time for billable hours. The weight of these tasks is so heavy that many small firm lawyers count it as one of their biggest hurdles. Plus, the surge in workload over the past year has only added to the stress, even impacting staff retention.

Balancing billable and non-billable hours can be challenging. Some non-billable hours are inevitable, like attending professional networking events or participating in continuing legal education. However, there are some non-billable tasks that you can reduce, automate, or outsource.

Effective Strategies to Minimize Legal Administrative Tasks

1. Accurate Time Tracking

Accurate time tracking is essential to ensure you bill for all the hours you work on a case. Relying on paper notes or Excel spreadsheets is not efficient and often leads to errors or missed entries. A practice management system with built-in timers, like Bill4Time, allows you to easily record time, even when you switch between tasks throughout your busy day.

Additionally, features like Google Calendar integration further streamline this process, enabling you to create time entries directly from already existing calendar events. This integration improves accuracy and reduces the need for duplicative efforts, making time tracking seamless and reliable.

2. Outsourcing

The obvious way to reduce administrative time for lawyers is by outsourcing administrative work. Most large law firms have an extensive support staff to help with these tasks, but the extra expense can be a challenge for small firms.

If the budget is tight, law firms can hire as-needed help, such as a virtual paralegal or part-time support staff, to address administrative needs. Contractors help with tasks like bookkeeping, marketing, web development, or fielding phone calls without adding a full-time position.

3. Delegating Responsibilities

Effective delegation is vital for alleviating some of your administrative burdens. Focus on the tasks that only you can perform, such as complex case research or high-stakes client consultations. Other responsibilities, like routine document preparation or initial client intake, can be assigned to capable team members.

Clear prioritization and delegation strategies are essential for maintaining productivity and ensuring that your firm operates smoothly. By delegating appropriately, you can ensure that all tasks are completed efficiently without overloading any single team member.

4. Implementing Better Organization

File maintenance and organization are critical to a smoothly running law firm. Lost files and misplaced documents not only waste precious time but can lead to malpractice suits. Also, if your clients are evaluating your capability based on your organization, a messy desk or frantic search for files can leave a bad impression.

The best way to stay organized is with digital tools. Searching for documents stored online is a matter of a quick toolbar search rather than hours spent rifling through paperwork. Bill4Time, for example, offers a cloud-based document management solution that provides lawyers with security and confidentiality, along with an efficient organizational system that makes accessing documents more convenient.

5. Utilizing Practice Management Software

Practice management software is a great way to reduce legal administrative tasks. They offer automation specifically designed for law firms and legal professionals. In addition to timekeeping, practice management systems can automate and streamline administrative tasks like maintaining client records, case matters, billing, emails, and more.

Furthermore, some practice management software uses cloud-based operating systems, so you can access any information within the system at any time from any device with an internet connection. Whether you’re in a taxi, waiting for a client at the courthouse, or meeting a client for lunch, practice management systems provide the tools you need to stay organized and productive.

Reduce Legal Administrative Tasks with Legal Technology

Non-billable hours and administrative tasks are part of doing business at a law firm, but lawyers can take numerous steps to reduce the administrative burden and focus on billable tasks. One of the best ways is with digital practice management systems, which track time and automate tasks like billing and time tracking. With solutions from Bill4Time, law firms can become more productive, efficient, and profitable with automated processes designed to cater to the needs of legal professionals.

Want to see how Bill4Time can reduce admin tasks at your firm? Let us show you in a demo — sign up here!

Every attorney knows the feeling: the mounting pressure of case deadlines, client meetings, and an ever-growing pile of paperwork. Balancing these tasks can be overwhelming, leading to late nights and missed opportunities. But what if you could streamline your workflow and reclaim some of those precious hours?

It can be easy to fall into the trap of handling everything on your own, thinking it’s the only way to maintain control. However, this approach can hinder productivity. By using strategic planning and the right tools, you can manage your caseload more effectively. Keep reading for five actionable tips designed specifically for attorneys. These tips will help you tackle common productivity challenges, ensuring you can focus on delivering the best results for your clients without burning out.

1. Plan Out Your Week

For many, the biggest obstacle to law firm productivity is poor or nonexistent planning. Lawyers have to juggle many tasks, clients, and appointments, so detailed planning is the best way to ensure everything gets done.

A practical approach is to outline your week in advance, noting all appointments, scheduled calls, research periods, client meetings, and other time-sensitive tasks. This allows you to allocate time for daily tasks like unexpected calls, paperwork, and time tracking. Effective planning can provide the flexibility needed to handle surprises without disrupting your workflow.

Scheduling should be realistic, allowing adequate time for each task to minimize procrastination and ensure completion of key tasks.

2. Tackle Hard Tasks First

After using timekeeping software, lawyers often notice that a lot of time is wasted doing unrelated tasks or procrastinating. It’s common to delay difficult tasks like preparing complex motions or following up on overdue client payments, leading to a last-minute scramble to get everything done.

A practical approach is to start your day by tackling these challenging tasks first. Research on circadian rhythms shows that our cognitive functions, including focus and willpower, are at their peak in the morning. This makes it the ideal time to handle complex legal tasks that require intense concentration and decision-making.

By prioritizing the most unpleasant or complex tasks first thing in the morning, you can ensure they get the attention they need. This strategy can prevent the stress of unfinished work piling up and make the rest of your day feel more manageable.

3. Schedule Distraction-Free Time

Phones and emails are vital for client communication, but they can seriously disrupt your workflow. When a phone notification pings or new emails flood in during a project, it can pull your focus away. Even quick chats with colleagues can add up if they keep stopping by, eating into your productive hours.

One effective strategy is to designate specific times for handling phone calls, emails, and team communications. Outside of these windows, keep notifications off. During the allotted times, address all communications promptly. This approach ensures you maintain professionalism and stay on top of time management. The rest of your day can then be dedicated to uninterrupted work on critical tasks.

Also, consider putting social media on hold. Checking one comment can easily spiral into a long session of browsing through feeds and articles. While many firms have social media managers, if you don’t, schedule specific times for social media engagement just like any other task.

4. Prioritize Your To-Do List

To-do lists can be a powerful tool if used correctly. However, for many lawyers, these lists can quickly turn into overwhelming catalogs of tasks, making it hard to accomplish anything meaningful.

Start your list with the most critical tasks that must be completed that day. Once those are identified, prioritize the rest in order of importance. This method ensures that if unexpected tasks come up, they won’t derail your entire schedule or result in missed deadlines.

At the end of each day, review your agenda for the following day. This daily review allows you to adjust your priorities based on any changes that occurred during the week. You can even include a note on your calendar for the next day of the main things you need to accomplish. By planning and reprioritizing regularly, you can stay on top of your workload and manage your time more effectively.

5. Adopt Legal Software

The legal profession is steeped in tradition, and methods like manual time tracking and paper billing are still common. Many learned these techniques from seasoned mentors, and they have served attorneys well for many years.

However, relying on manual processes can slow you down and increase the risk of errors. Legal software offers a way to modernize your practices without sacrificing the thoroughness and precision attorneys value. Features like time tracking, document automation, client management, and mobile access allow lawyers to automate routine processes and access mission-critical information at any time, from anywhere with an internet connection.

By leveraging these technologies, you can shift your focus to what you do best — providing exceptional legal services to your clients. The result is a more efficient, productive, and responsive law practice.

Improve Law Firm Productivity with Bill4Time

The right legal software can go a long way in boosting productivity in a law firm. Bill4Time offers an affordable, efficient, and intuitive legal practice management solution with features designed specifically for law firms, such as document management, case management, billing and invoicing, and time tracking. With Bill4Time, lawyers can practice more and manage less with efficient, automated processes designed with law firms’ needs in mind.

You can explore Bill4Time right now with a free trial. No need to input your credit card information. Simply sign up and see what Bill4Time is all about!