clifford chance

Time Management for Lawyers

Major international law firm where lawyers at the start of their career need to learn quickly about how they can work most effectively.

Background

Trainee lawyers are very often daunted by the work atmosphere in a modern law firm, as well as by the amount they do not know. They are under pressure to be an active useful member of the team.

Need

We developed a three hour session following conversations with trainees and tele-conferences with supervisors. The session is a blend of discussion, activities, case studies and quizzes.

Activity

The content of the training covered the following areas:

  • Do we manage time or ourselves?
  • Work Style Model – understanding our approach to work.
  • Understanding our strengths and weaknesses in personal efficiency.
  • Prioritising – how to prioritise.
  • Habits and getting into more good ones.
  • Managing emails.
  • Managing expectations.
  • Handling clients/colleagues assertively whilst giving a great service.
  • Managing time grabbers.
  • Understanding biorhythms and their impact on personal efficiency.
  • Personal action plans.

Outcomes

The main outcomes of this session were:

  • A clear idea on the expectations of the firm.
  • Ideas on how they can specfically improve thier personal efficiency.
  • Personal actions

Participant Feedback

“Good session with clear ideas on how to become more efficient.”

“All the ideas make sense and are from an experienced trainer, so we just need to get on and implement them.”

Client Comments

“The new format and style of this training has made it much more engaging and almost fun! The lawyers enjoy this style and get the ideas they need to better manage their time.”