Dig into actionable, realistic time management strategies designed for the professional working woman that mold to you.

When I was a brand new attorney, I felt like everyone else got this “how to adult” memo I missed (or maybe it got lost in my paper piles). I left school and immediately got overwhelmed by managing a career, family, friends, dating, even the run-of-the-mill medical things, financial info, etc. I basically ignored my […]

I recently found out someone I really respect got majorly hacked – and there’s really no happy ending to the story. Tens of thousands of dollars spent dealing with the issue. Ongoing panic attacks. Loss of data/domain/etc. and, equally if not more important, her sense of security. My heart breaks for her – and I’d […]

Most hear “inbox zero” and think of having 0 emails in our inbox. And most of us are so far from 0 that it stresses us out just thinking about it. But – here’s a fun fact: the “inbox zero” concept was originally NOT ABOUT HAVING ZERO EMAILS IN YOUR INBOX. It was about spending […]

To-do lists are a great way to get everything out of your head. But does this sound familiar: You do a TON during the day, crossing off so many to-do items, but still feel defeated when you see the dozens of tasks left on your list? You even start writing things down just so you […]

Let’s talk ego. When I practiced law, I didn’t realize how much I found confidence in saying, “I’m an attorney,” when people asked what I did. Then, I left law, mainly due to being sick of dealing with overly aggressive male opposing counsels who didn’t get that our clients would be better served if we […]

Some people don’t want to “clutter up” their calendar with time-blocking. But here’s the thing: the blocks of time just represent how you’re already spending your time. If it looks overwhelmingly cluttered, it’s because your schedule is too cluttered, disorganized or chaotic — which is why you feel the same way. Let’s solve that problem […]

Likely because there was no “how to stay organized during the day-to-day grind” class in law school, many attorneys suffer from disorganized case files.

This means lots of last-minute scrambles to meet deadlines, twinges of mild panic when a client calls to request information that we can’t find quickly, and – most importantly – a lack of mental clarity regarding litigation strategy and status.

That used to describe me. As a new attorney straight out of law school at a big law firm in Boston, I had no idea how to keep my case files organized and important information accessible (in any one case, much less the numerous ones I had on my plate).

Over time, through experimentation, observation of some impressively organized attorneys, and research, I figured out systems to help me keep important documents handy, discovery and electronic files under control, and deadlines met without undue stress or scramble.

Given the lack of information on this front for new attorneys (and experienced attorneys, for that matter), I wanted to pass along my system in case it’s helpful to you.

Confession: I am a paper junkie. More specifically, a paper planner junkie. All through high school, college, and law school, I used a paper planner. That Target paper planner aisle sings to me with its sweet siren song. And yet, as you know by now, I’m convinced most of us should run our lives on […]

Raise your hand if you have an email problem. We all do. We spend way too much time living in our email inbox. There, we feel “busy,” but at the end of the day, we usually haven’t really moved the ball forward on our important projects. This is likely because, as someone smarter than me […]