What Is Legal Project Management?

Legal work has always required coordination.

What’s changed is the pace and volume of work, along with higher expectations around transparency, cost, and turnaround. Managing all of that through emails, spreadsheets, and memory alone gets harder over time.

Legal project management grew out of that pressure, not as a rigid system or a one-size-fits-all framework, but as a practical way to bring structure to work that already demands planning and follow-through.

And for many teams, legal project management software plays a supporting role by helping make plans visible and work easier to track as matters move forward.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how legal project management fits into real legal work, when it becomes useful, and how teams can adopt it in the most efficient way possible.

What Is Legal Project Management?

Legal project management isn’t a tightly defined concept with a single rulebook (at least not yet). Most people in law didn’t learn it in school, and many teams use parts of it without ever calling it that.

At a practical level, it’s a way to bring order to legal work that already feels complex. You plan a matter, break the work into clear steps, assign responsibility, and track progress as things move forward. The goal is to make sure everyone knows what’s happening and what comes next.

If you work in a law firm, this probably sounds familiar. You already manage deadlines, coordinate people, and respond to changes mid-matter. Legal project management puts a structure around those habits so they’re easier to repeat and easier to improve.

For teams that implement legal project management, the shift often feels subtle at first. Fewer surprises. Clearer communication. Less time spent figuring out status and more time actually doing the work. It doesn’t replace legal judgment or experience; it supports them.

At the end of the day, legal project management helps legal services run with more clarity and consistency, especially as matters grow larger, faster, or more collaborative.

How Legal Project Management Applies to Legal Matters

Legal matters rarely follow a neat script. Something changes, a deadline shifts, a new request lands in your inbox, and suddenly the plan needs adjusting. Legal project management helps you keep your footing when that happens.

At the matter level, it gives you a clear way to organize work from start to finish. You know what’s coming up, who owns each task, and how the pieces connect. That visibility makes it easier to manage client expectations and stay calm when work picks up.

Here’s how it tends to play out in real situations:

Litigation matters: Major litigation phases like pleadings, discovery, and motions are mapped early, so even complex matters feel easier to track as they move forward
Transactional matters: Reviews, approvals, and closing steps follow a clear order, which cuts down on confusion and helps everyone stay aligned as timelines tighten
Ongoing advisory work: Repeat work gets documented and refined over time, leading to steady process improvement without adding extra steps

Across the legal industry, teams use this approach to build better organization and efficiency. As habits develop, work becomes more predictable, communication improves, and law firm success becomes easier to sustain without constant fire drills.

Does Your Team Need Legal Project Management?

Some teams look for legal project management after a problem shows up. Others notice patterns that quietly slow work down as time goes on.

If any of the situations below feel familiar, it may be worth taking a closer look:

Deadlines feel harder to track than they should: Important dates live in too many places, and staying on top of them depends on memory rather than a shared system.
Work ownership feels unclear: Tasks get done, but no one can easily say who owns what or what’s coming next.
Status updates take more time than the work itself: You spend a lot of time answering emails or meetings that exist mainly to figure out progress.
Matters expand without clear boundaries: New requests get added midstream, timelines stretch, and priorities shift without a clear plan to adjust.
Resources feel stretched even on routine matters: The team works hard, yet capacity feels tight because effort isn’t always directed where it matters most.

Legal project management helps create visibility around work so teams can make better decisions earlier. It gives structure to work that already exists, which should make it easier to spot issues before they grow and help teams use their resources with more intention.

The Key Components of Legal Project Management

Legal project management works best when a few core pieces stay consistent across matters. In other words, you need clear building blocks that help work move forward without confusion.

Here are the key components that form the foundation:

Planning and Scoping

Planning and scoping are really about getting everyone on the same page before the work takes off. It’s the moment where you step back and ask, what does this matter actually require, and where do the limits sit?

For attorneys, that usually means talking through the client’s specific needs, the outcome you’re working toward, and the key steps along the way. Nothing here needs to be overly formal.

Some teams turn this into a light program that they reuse across matters. A few simple techniques, like outlining phases or flagging early assumptions, can make a noticeable difference.

Keep in mind that when the scope is clear from the start, changes feel manageable and the work stays easier to control as things evolve.

Task Ownership and Accountability

Task ownership keeps work moving without constant check-ins. When everyone knows who owns what, decisions happen faster and follow-ups feel natural rather than awkward.

On a matter team, this usually starts with clarity from leadership. Tasks get assigned to a specific person, not a group, so responsibility doesn’t drift. That doesn’t mean working in silos, though. It means the legal team knows exactly who to go to for updates or decisions.

Project managers often help reinforce this structure, especially on larger matters, but the same idea works on smaller teams too.

For example, during legal discovery, one attorney may own document review deadlines while another handles drafting responses. Each person knows their role, and the rest of the team can plan around that work with confidence.

Timelines and Milestone Tracking

Timelines and milestones give structure to work that can otherwise feel open-ended. For lawyers and other legal professionals, they create a shared sense of pace across matters and practices.

Rather than tracking every small task, teams focus on meaningful checkpoints that show progress and signal what’s coming next.

Common milestones include:

Initial case assessment completed
Discovery requests sent
Discovery responses finalized
Key motions drafted
Deal documents approved
Closing completed

When milestones are visible, teams can adjust earlier, coordinate better, and keep work moving.

Communication and Visibility

Imagine this scenario: you’re halfway through a matter, and someone asks for a status update. You know the work is moving, but pulling together a clear answer takes longer than it should.

That’s usually a visibility problem and not a work problem.

A good legal team or law firm’s communication keeps everyone aligned without constant check-ins. When progress is easy to see, conversations shift from “where are we?” to “what’s next?”

Technology often helps support this, especially when many clients or multiple teams are involved. Shared views into timelines and tasks reduce long email chains and repeated questions. The same applies when working with outside law firms, where clarity keeps collaboration smooth.

Legal project managers play an important role here. They help set expectations around updates, keep information flowing, and make sure key details stay visible as matters move forward.

Resource Allocation

Resource allocation comes into play when work starts piling up, and choices have to be made.

Who handles this task? How much time makes sense? Which lawyer tools actually help rather than slow things down?

When those decisions are clear, the budget stays easier to manage, and legal spend feels more intentional.

Teams usually think about resource allocation in a few practical ways:

Who does the work: Assigning tasks based on skill level so effort matches the complexity, and costs stay in check.
How time is used: Making room for work that truly moves the matter forward.
Which tools support the process: Choosing tools that reduce manual effort and support consistency.
How costs add up: Keeping an eye on decisions that affect spend over the life of the matter.

Risk and Change Management

Legal matters change. New facts surface, priorities shift, and timelines adjust. Risk and change management give you a way to stay steady when that happens.

Managing risk starts with awareness. Spotting potential risks early makes legal challenges easier to handle before they disrupt the entire matter.

Risk management doesn’t eliminate uncertainty, but it helps teams respond with intention rather than urgency.

Teams often focus on a few core areas:

Identifying potential risks early: Flagging issues that could affect scope, timing, or outcomes.
Assessing impact: Understanding how changes affect deadlines, workload, and expectations.
Adjusting plans openly: Updating timelines and responsibilities so everyone stays aligned.
Documenting decisions: Keeping a clear record of changes to support consistency and accountability.

How to Get Started with Legal Project Management

Getting started with legal project management doesn’t require a full process overhaul. Small, intentional steps make a real difference and help teams build habits that stick.

Try to focus on these key areas as you begin:

1. Assess Current Workflows

Before changing anything, take a step back and look at how work actually flows today. Not how it’s supposed to work on paper, but how it really moves from one person to the next.

Most teams already have patterns in place, even if they feel a little chaotic.

For example, a business matter might bounce between intake, review, and approvals with no clear handoff. When timelines slip, everyone may expect faster turnaround, yet no one can point to where things slowed down.

Seeing those patterns clearly gives you a realistic starting point and helps you decide what needs attention first.

2. Define Clear Matter Goals

Clear matter goals give direction to the work from day one. Without them, it’s easy for tasks to pile up without a shared sense of purpose.

Start by asking a few simple questions. What does success look like for this matter? What needs to be delivered? What does the client or business expect at the end? When those answers are clear, decisions become easier, and work stays focused.

Defining goals also helps teams deliver greater value. Time and effort are spent on what’s actually important, rather than side tasks that don’t move the matter forward. Even a brief goal statement can anchor the entire project and keep everyone aligned as things change.

3. Start With Simple Planning Tools

You don’t need complex systems to get started. Simple tools often work best, especially early on, and many legal project management professionals rely on lightweight planning to keep work visible.

Common examples include:

Matter timelines
Task checklists
Shared spreadsheets
Basic project boards
Calendar-based trackers

Remember: The goal is clarity and not complexity. When planning tools are easy to use, teams actually stick with them.

4. Assign Ownership Early

Things tend to run more smoothly when ownership is clear from the start. When roles get defined early, the team spends less time sorting out who should handle what once deadlines creep closer.

Picture a matter with several stakeholders involved. One person takes charge of client communication. Another focuses on legal drafting and review.

Everyone knows their lane, which makes it easier to collaborate and assist each other when work overlaps.

5. Build Consistent Communication Habits

You’ve probably been on a matter where updates came in bursts. Nothing for days, then a flood of messages all at once. That pattern makes it harder than necessary to stay oriented.

Consistent communication fixes that. When updates come at expected moments, you stop wondering where things stand. This is especially helpful when working with outside counsel, since everyone operates with different rhythms and assumptions.

Within the legal profession, small habits tend to work best. These might include a quick status note at the same point each week, clear next steps after a call, or one place to check progress.

Those routines don’t add work, but they do bring many benefits, including fewer interruptions and calmer coordination as matters move along.

6. Review and Adjust Over Time

Regardless of how well a matter is planned, things will change. That’s why reviewing progress along the way helps you spot what’s working and what needs a tweak before small issues grow.

For example, after a discovery phase wraps up, a team might notice that reviews took longer than expected. That insight can shape how timelines are set for the next matter.

Or after closing a deal, you may realize certain approvals always slow things down and adjust the sequence next time.

These quick check-ins don’t need to be formal. A short conversation after key milestones is often enough to carry lessons forward and make the next matter run a little smoother.

Find Out How Briefpoint Fits Into Legal Project Management

Legal project management works best when the structure supports the way legal workflows actually happen. Clear planning, ownership, timelines, and communication all count, but they still rely on execution. That’s often when the right tools become part of the conversation.

Discovery is a good example. It’s deadline-driven, detail-heavy, and often repeated across matters.

Briefpoint supports legal project management by bringing consistency and clarity to discovery responses, with the central goal of helping teams stay organized without adding extra process.

Briefpoint’s core belief is that when drafting and formatting take less time, it’s easier to plan work, assign ownership, and keep matters moving on schedule.

Legal project management doesn’t require perfection. It improves through small, practical changes paired with tools that fit naturally into your workflow.

So, if discovery work keeps slowing matters down, take a closer look at how Briefpoint can support your process.

Book a demo to see how it works in real-world litigation.

FAQs About Legal Project Management

What do legal project managers do?

Legal project managers help organize legal work so matters stay on track. They focus on planning, timelines, coordination, and communication, which allows attorneys to concentrate on legal judgment. Strong project management skills help them support teams without disrupting existing workflows.

What is the overview of legal project management?

Legal project management is a structured way to plan and manage legal matters from start to finish. It brings clarity around goals, responsibilities, and progress, which supports better coordination and more consistent client service.

Is legal project management useful for a legal professional seeking new skills?

Yes. A legal professional seeking to expand their role often finds legal project management valuable. It builds skills that support leadership, coordination, and decision-making across different types of matters.

Do you need formal training to work in legal project management?

Formal training programs or a course can be helpful, especially for those moving into dedicated project roles. That said, many teams start by applying basic concepts and improving quality through experience over time.

The information provided on this website does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only. Information on this website may not constitute the most up-to-date legal or other information.

This website contains links to other third-party websites. Such links are only for the convenience of the reader, user or browser. Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website authors, contributors, contributing law firms, or committee members and their respective employers.

Product Update: Supplemental Responses

Product Update Discovery workflows

Feb 4, 2026 v2026.02 Rollout starts Feb 4, 2026

Supplemental Responses: End-to-End Support for Ongoing Discovery

Discovery doesn't stop after the first response. With Supplemental Responses, Briefpoint supports you through ongoing updates—so changes are easy to manage, track, and produce without rework.

Create supplements directly in Briefpoint (RFP, RFA, Interrogatories) Preserve prior answers—always referenceable, never overwritten Structured workflow + Bridge client input for faster finalization

Schedule a demo Get training

At a glance

What's new: Supplemental Responses are now fully supported—generate and manage supplements inside Briefpoint instead of tracking updates manually outside the platform.
Who it helps: Litigators managing ongoing discovery updates, and clients responding through Bridge when new information becomes available.
Why it matters: Continuity and efficiency. Preserve response history, reduce inconsistency, and avoid confusion as cases evolve.

What changed

Briefpoint now fully supports Supplemental Responses, enabling litigators to efficiently manage and prepare updated discovery responses as new information becomes available. Rather than editing prior work or tracking supplemental responses manually outside the platform, you can generate a new supplemental document directly in Briefpoint—while keeping prior responses intact and referenceable.

Prior responses remain intact and referenceable
New or updated information can be added easily
Supplemental Responses follow a familiar & structured workflow

How to use it

From the Document List, open the context menu on the originating document and choose Supplement.
Select the specific items to supplement and begin adding responses.
Reference the original response, and any previous supplemental responses in the center column and easily get more information from your client via theclient Bridge, when you're ready; open in Word to finalize.

Notes

Supplementals are created from an originating document (not from other supplementals). All previously created supplemental rounds are visible during drafting for the relevant items. Manually uploading documents to RFPs will be supported shorly. Documents uploaded by clients will be available in Supplemental Response workflows by the end of the month.

FAQ

Can I supplement a supplemental response?

At launch, you create supplements from the original document. When you start a new supplemental round, Briefpoint shows the full history of prior supplements for the relevant items so you can build on what's already been served.

How are supplemental documents organized on the Document List?

Supplemental Response documents appear nested under their originating document. When you sort the list, the originating document and its supplemental "block" move together—while child documents keep their relative order to preserve accurate nesting.

What can clients provide through Bridge?

At launch:
RFAs, Interrogaries & RFPs support text-based responses. Attorneys can review and include the client response with the supplemental response set.

By March 2026 - RFPs support uploaded documents and/or an attestation that they don't have documents (with optional context).

Note: For RFPs, manual document upload inside the supplemental workflow is not included at launch; client documents are collected via Client Doc Upload tasks.

Propounding Discovery: Streamlining In 2026

Propounding discovery refers to initiating a formal exchange of information with an opposing party in a legal context. It is essential in many lawsuits, occurring within the discovery phase before parties go to court.

If you are the party “propounding discovery,” you are the one sending information requests to the other side. Permitted ways to do this include sending requests for production or filing interrogatories and requests for admission.

However, creating and sending these documents by hand is time-consuming and prone to errors. You could submit requests using improper formats or language, preventing you from securing the target information you want.

That’s where propounding discovery software can help. It provides advanced features to streamline document production, avoid errors, and reduce time spent on non-billable tasks.

Propounding Discovery Overview

Law offices need to initiate discovery for various reasons. The principal purpose is to gather evidence that supports your client’s case. Learning more about the circumstances of the events in question can help you prepare superior responses in court.

However, there are other reasons for propounding discovery. For example, it also assists in learning more about the other party’s position and weaknesses.

Furthermore, you may also identify potential witnesses and experts and learn more about the precise issues in dispute during this investigative stage. Enhanced discovery improves your capacity to serve your clients.

Your Obligations During Propounding Discovery

While propounding discovery is an accepted legal process, you must still fulfill various obligations. That’s why software can be beneficial. It helps you avoid non-compliance.

For example, requests for information must be relevant and proportional to the case. You must focus (in general) on obtaining answers that help you resolve the dispute. Requests shouldn’t place any undue burden on the responding party.

You must also format and serve discoveries according to court rules. Failing to adhere to guidelines could result in judges throwing out requests.

Getting compliance right, though, is challenging. Opposing parties have certain rights, including objecting to burdensome or irrelevant information requests. Attorney-client privilege also lets them bar demands for sensitive information.

Fortunately, you can limit these risks while maximizing compliance by using software. Carefully calibrated solutions provide recognized requests while saving time.

The Benefits Of Using Software For Propounding Discovery

Before we discuss the specific features of propounding discovery software, let’s review some of the benefits it offers.

A centralized platform that attorneys can use whenever they want to make a request
Improved visibility over the discovery process – paperwork is digital, not hidden away in a file somewhere
Better workflow streamlining, including making requests (and responding to them) with minimal typing or manual entry required
Improved ability to meet deadlines imposed for discovery by the court
Enhanced team productivity and less time spent on non-billable work
Reduction in the risk of accidental information exposure using pre-filled template libraries
Less rote work and more focus on high-value tasks
Pre-formatted requests that increase the likelihood of discovery

Software Features That Let You Streamline The Propounding Discovery Process

Advances in AI and software generally mean that today’s solutions are more capable than ever. Tools offer various features that improve the process and enable you to get the information you and your clients need. Here’s what to expect:

Template Libraries

Propounding discovery software comes with template libraries you can use to make information requests. These save time and free up attorneys and other legal professionals to focus on higher-value tasks.

Briefpoint offers extensive template libraries for various case categories across information request classes. For instance, we have over 87 special interrogatories pre-formatted for auto torts and more for requests for admission and production.

Using template libraries is straightforward. Most leading solutions let you click the item you want to include, whether sending a request to a plaintiff, defendant, or another party. That’s true of Briefpoint.

Furthermore, these template libraries include careful wording to minimize the risk of receiving a valid objection from the opposing party. For example, Briefpoint includes interrogatories such as:

Automated Drafting Tools

Automated drafting tools are another essential ingredient of top-rated propounding discovery software. These systems enable you to craft the precise document you need, depending on who you send it to and the information you request.

Briefpoint does this by taking you through a multi-choice wizard. Fillable forms give you the option to provide a short title for the case, the case number, the full title of the case, the client position (plaintiff, defendant, cross-defendant, or cross-complainant), representative action (individual, class action, or PAGA), the case type (i.e., auto, business, civil rights, etc.), the various parties’ names, and the venue.

Entering this information supplies the propounding discovery document software with the essential formatting information to proceed.

The information you must include varies between jurisdictions. However, advanced software helps you cover your bases by adding things like:

The deadline for responding to the request
Clear and concise statements about the requests
Instructions on how the opposing party should format its responses
A statement underlining the legal standing of the request

Once you add this information, the software formats it for you, regardless of the document you want to submit. The next step is to choose the request type so the software can present the proper library of pre-formatted requests discussed in the previous section.

Briefpoint lets you draft any of the following:

Request for Admission. These requests ask the opposing party to admit or deny various “truths” or facts associated with a case. These are helpful when you want to narrow down the disputed facts and save time.
Request for Production. These requests ask the opposing party to produce legal documents associated with the case. Any requests for paperwork must be relevant and helpful in proving your client’s case.
Special Interrogatories. These written questions are limited to a specific topic or issue relating to the case. You might submit them to identify potential witnesses or better understand the other party’s stance on an issue.

Once you provide Briefpoint with this information, you can populate your document with specific requests. The software will format and structure the paperwork according to best practices.

Checking Compliance

Once you finish telling the software what document you want it to create, you can download it for review. (Briefpoint lets you do this in Microsoft Word.) This step allows you to check it for compliance before sending it off.

While developers take special care to make sure that template requests follow established norms and practices, you are responsible for any new items you insert or edits to existing suggestions.

Understanding How Propounding Software Can Streamline Discovery

Opposing parties can object to responding to discovery requests under certain conditions. Requests are unlikely to succeed if they:

Are irrelevant to the case
Are excessively burdensome
Violate various attorney-client privileges that protect some details from disclosure

Therefore, using propounding discovery software is helpful. It reduces the risk of rejected requests, supporting your client’s case.

Briefpoint’s propounding discovery solutions are a case in point. Filing by hand is tedious, but getting our software to do it instead could save you up to 87% of your time.

You can also use it to avoid costly mistakes, such as disclosing information about your client that you shouldn’t. Responses comply with ethical rules for better decision-making.

Understanding the role of propounding software in your legal practice should enable you to make requests more effectively. You can avoid compliance issues while working in your client’s best interests.

Cut the Busywork—Power Through Discovery with Confidence

Manually handling written discovery slows your workflow and puts accuracy at risk. From document requests to special interrogatories, outdated discovery procedures make it harder to stay compliant and meet deadlines.

Briefpoint changes that. It helps you obtain discovery faster by automating the drafting process and providing court-ready templates for every stage of your case.

Ready to upgrade how you manage discovery? Book your demo today to streamline document requests and take control of your written discovery!

FAQs About Propounding Discovery

What does it mean to propound written discovery?

To propound written discovery means to formally send questions or requests, such as form interrogatories, requests for admission, or requests for production, to the opposing side in a legal matter. These are governed by the relevant civil procedure section and aim to gather all the facts and evidence needed before the trial.

What does propounding mean in law?

In legal terms, propounding refers to initiating a request for information during discovery. It often involves propounding interrogatories or document requests that the opposing party must answer with written responses and, in many cases, a signed verification.

When can a defendant propound discovery?

A defendant may propound discovery once a pending action has officially begun and procedural timelines under the applicable jurisdiction allow it. Most discovery requests—including those for sufficient information to support a defense—must comply with specific civil procedure rules and deadlines.

What does propounding party mean?

The propounding party is the one initiating discovery by sending out formal requests for information. They are responsible for ensuring compliance with discovery rules and often rely on tools like a court reporter to document responses given during depositions or other oral proceedings.

How do you respond to discovery in a lawsuit?

You respond to discovery by submitting timely written responses to each item requested by the propounding party. This may include answering form interrogatories, producing documents, or objecting to specific requests. Responses must be complete, accurate, and verified with a signed statement, especially when used as part of the evidence needed in court.

Readers of this website should contact their attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular legal matter. No reader, user, or browser of this site should act or refrain from acting on the basis of information on this site without first seeking legal advice from counsel in the relevant jurisdiction. Only your individual attorney can provide assurances that the information contained herein – and your interpretation of it – is applicable or appropriate to your particular situation. Use of, and access to, this website or any of the links or resources contained within the site do not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader, user, or browser and website authors, contributors, contributing law firms, or committee members and their respective employers.

Time Management for Attorneys (9 Management Tips + Tools)

Effective time management is the foundation of a successful legal practice and a positive work-life balance. Managing time effectively helps you put more value into the work you do for clients.

For many lawyers, time freedom seems like a far-fetched goal given the demands of the job. However, with a few time management strategies, you’ll be well on your way to establishing that elusive “work/life balance.”.

How Does Time Management Affect Your Practice?

Efficient time management does more than just help you meet deadlines. It affects client satisfaction, impacts your firm’s bottom line, and plays a crucial role in your well-being.

A lawyer who’s on top of their schedule can deliver prompt, high-quality work, leading to happier clients and more referrals. Conversely, poor time management can lead to rushed jobs, missed opportunities, and burnout.

4 Most Common Hindrances to Effective Time Management

For many people working in the legal industry, almost every case or task requires a lot of time commitment. Most attorneys put in 50, 40, or sometimes even 80 hours into their workweeks.

Of course, it’s a natural aspect of the trade, but even if you’re putting in a lot of time, that doesn’t always mean you’re working efficiently. Additionally, bad time management often leads to poor work-life balance, which comes with its unique downsides.

Before we get into how you can improve your time management, let’s discuss the possible reasons why it might be lacking:

Poor Delegation of Tasks

Many attorneys struggle with delegation, often feeling that they need to handle everything personally to ensure it’s done correctly. However, lack of delegation can quickly lead to burnout and poor use of tools available, including staff that are hired to handle routine tasks.

Outdated Processes

The legal industry is notorious for clinging to traditional methods, but adherence to outdated processes can be a significant time drain. Whether it’s manual document filing, reliance on paper-based systems, or avoiding new legal tech solutions, these outdated practices can slow you down considerably.

Procrastination

Procrastination is a common challenge that affects many people, not just attorneys. If you wait until the last minute to start on tasks, you may be setting yourself up for missed deadlines and even more stress.

There are a lot of possible reasons why this happens, but procrastination often stems from feeling overwhelmed by a task or fearing failure.

Inaccurate Time Estimates

Effective time management requires accurate estimates of how long tasks will take. Underestimating the time needed for tasks can disrupt your entire schedule, leading to work piling up and deadlines being missed.

Maximizing Efficiency With Discovery Document Automation

Drafting discovery response and request documents can take hours, if not days. It depends on the matter you’re responding to and how much paperwork you would have to go through to draft the entire document. Whatever the case may be, manual discovery drafting takes too much time to be efficient.

Automation is the solution to this long-standing problem and a great way to manage time more effectively. With AI automation tools, legal professionals can upload documents and let the machine learning system extract information, add objections or responses, and then prepare the document in the proper format. So, instead of hours, you can have your response or request documents ready in minutes.

9 Best Time Management Tips for Lawyers for Better Work-Life Balance

Achieving an optimal work-life balance is a never-ending challenge for attorneys. However, by employing strategic time management techniques, lawyers can enhance their productivity while ensuring they have time for personal pursuits.

Here are some of the best time management tips to help manage your time more effectively:

1. Prioritize tasks based on importance

Understanding that not all tasks have equal importance is crucial in time management. Start by identifying which tasks require your immediate attention and which can be postponed or even delegated.

In doing so, you can focus on what truly matters instead of spending valuable time on less critical activities.

2. Keep your goals realistic

Setting achievable goals helps keep your workload manageable and prevents you from feeling overwhelmed. Break down larger projects into smaller, more manageable tasks with specific deadlines. Adopting this strategy can help you avoid procrastination and set up a workflow you can follow more easily.

3. Use digital calendars

Make your digital calendar your go-to for organizing your schedule. Regularly update it with all your deadlines, appointments, and personal commitments, and consider sharing it with support staff. This habit helps ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and allows you to visually assess your availability for taking on new tasks.

4. Embrace the Pomodoro technique

This time management technique involves working in focused intervals (typically 25 minutes or longer), followed by a short break. These intervals, known as “Pomodoros”, encourage deep focus and productivity by creating a sense of urgency and minimizing distractions. After four Pomodoros, take a longer break to recharge.

5. Learn when to say “no”

Recognizing your capacity and refusing additional tasks when your plate is already full is vital to preventing burnout and optimizing your schedule. Politely decline requests that you don’t have the bandwidth for to maintain a high quality of work for your current commitments.

6. Master the art of delegation

Evaluate your team’s skills and delegate tasks accordingly. Delegation is not about offloading work you don’t want to do; it’s about efficiently managing resources to ensure all tasks are completed most effectively.

For example, you can let your assistant handle non-urgent client communications so that you don’t have to spend the whole day answering queries.

7. Set boundaries to limit interruptions

Interruptions, while sometimes unavoidable in busy law firms, can severely disrupt your workflow. Designate specific times for checking emails and taking calls to minimize these disruptions. Inform colleagues and clients of these windows to help manage their expectations and reduce the frequency of interruptions.

8. Utilize time-blocking

Time-blocking involves dedicating specific blocks of time to different tasks or activities throughout your day. This technique forces you to make intentional decisions about how you spend your time. Allocate time blocks for deep work, administrative tasks, billable hours, and even breaks.

This way, Time you can ensure that you dedicate sufficient time to high-priority work while also preserving time for rest and personal activities. It encourages a disciplined approach to your day, where you’re less likely to get sidetracked by less important tasks or procrastination.

9. Incorporate technology into your workflow

Adopt tech solutions that can help you reduce time spent on tedious tasks or improve your overall efficiency. There are plenty of legal AI tools that take over certain tasks, such as document automation, contract drafting, and client management.

Automating Document Preparation

One of the most tedious aspects of litigation is the discovery phase, and if you do it the traditional way, you might spend hours preparing documents instead of tackling more challenging tasks.

Briefpoint recognized this challenge and created a way to streamline document preparation. With this AI-powered tool, you can automate the preparation of discovery response and request documents. Lawyers who use Briefpoint save an average of three hours per document, allowing them more time for other tasks–or just life in general.

Improve Your Discovery Process with Briefpoint

Discovery responses cost firms $23,240, per year, per attorney. $23,240 estimate assumes an associate attorney salary of $150,000 (including benefits – or $83 an hour), 20 cases per year/per associate, 4 discovery sets per case, 30 questions per set, 3.5 hours spent responding to each set, and 1800 hours of billable hours per year.

Book a demo and save on these costs with Briefpoint.

FAQs About Time Management for Attorneys

How can I start improving my time management skills?

Begin by auditing how you currently spend your time and identify areas for improvement. Adopt one or two strategies or tools at a time to see what works best for you.

Is it really necessary to use technology to manage my time better?

While it’s possible to improve time management without technology, the right tools can significantly enhance your efficiency and productivity.

How can I maintain a work-life balance as an attorney?

Prioritize your tasks, set boundaries for work hours, and make time for personal activities. Remember, taking care of yourself improves your performance at work.

New Feature: Filter Content by Case and Document Type

In the ever-evolving world of litigation, efficiency and accuracy are crucial for success. Legal professionals understand the importance of having quick access to relevant information. As a leading provider of innovative legal solutions, Briefpoint is proud to announce its latest feature update – the ability to filter objections and responses by document and case type. This groundbreaking tool ensures that litigators can swiftly locate pertinent work product while drafting discovery responses, saving valuable time and promoting standardization across all cases within an organization.

Time-saving: With a vast database of objections and responses at their disposal, litigators often find themselves sifting through massive amounts of information to find what they need. Briefpoint’s new case type filter eliminates the need for tedious and time-consuming searches, streamlining the process and allowing legal professionals to focus on their primary task – crafting compelling arguments for their clients.

Standardization: Large organizations often struggle to maintain uniformity in their responses across cases. With the new case type filter, organizations can easily input their history of responses, ensuring that all team members have access to consistent information.

Step-by-Step Guide to Using the Case Type Filter Feature

Accessing the Feature: To begin using the case type filter, log in to your Briefpoint account and navigate to your Library’s discovery response drafting section.

Selecting the Case Type: Choose your content and locate the case type dropdown menu located near the top of the page. Click on the menu and choose the appropriate case type from the list provided.

Drafting Responses: With the relevant objections and responses now labeled, you can begin drafting your discovery responses with ease. Select the desired case type from the Edit Case page and now the content that you similarly tagged is surfaced right where you respond. The seamless integration of the case type filter allows for a smooth drafting process without the need to switch between screens or search for additional information.

Briefpoint’s new case type filter feature is a game-changer for litigators, streamlining the discovery response process and promoting consistency within legal teams. By providing easy access to relevant objections and responses, this feature saves time and allows litigators to focus on what truly matters – winning cases for their clients. With Briefpoint’s commitment to innovation and constant improvement, we look forward to seeing how this new feature will revolutionize the way legal professionals work and achieve success in the courtroom.

New: Automated Discovery Requests & Interrogatories

We’re excited to announce the beta launch of Briefpoint’s new propounding discovery automation feature!

With over 600 out-of-the-box requests for admission, requests for production, and interrogatories, you can create flawless first drafts of your propounding discovery in minutes.

To access the new feature, navigate to a case folder on your account, ensure your case is labeled with the appropriate case type under ‘Edit Case Details’, and select “Draft Request” from the case’s dashboard.

Watch this two-minute video to learn more:

NOTICE: This feature is currently in BETA – meaning that its functionality will change and improve as we continue to build it – please help us improve this feature by providing feedback. Thank you for helping us make Briefpoint work better for you in advance.

Introducing Bespoke Objections: Briefpoint's Game-Changing AI Tool

We are excited to announce the latest addition to Briefpoint’s suite of powerful AI-driven tools for litigators: Bespoke Objections. This groundbreaking feature revolutionizes the way you respond to opposing counsel’s discovery requests, saving you time and effort while enhancing the quality and effectiveness of your responses.

What are Bespoke Objections?

Bespoke Objections is a new feature in Briefpoint that analyzes your opposing counsel’s discovery request PDFs, suggests appropriate objections for each request, and writes the objections for you, tailoring each to the specific content of the request. This allows you to focus on higher-value tasks and makes it easier for you to respond to discovery requests faster than ever.

How does it work?

When you log into Briefpoint to draft your first response to a discovery request, simply upload the opposing counsel’s discovery request PDFs. Our advanced AI system analyzes the documents, extracts relevant information, and uses that data to construct a response document template. Once you confirm the extracted data, the AI system pulls out all the requests and presents them in a linear workflow for you to respond to one after another.

To respond, select “Suggest an Objection.” The AI will analyze the contents of the request, suggest applicable objections, and write the objections for you, tailoring each to the specific contents of the request. You can then review the objections and select your response from the menu of options on the left.

The Bespoke Objections feature is designed to only suggest objections based on what it finds reasonable. However, you can always supplement these suggestions by selecting additional objections from the left menu.

Once you’re satisfied with your responses, you can click “Open in Word” to download a Word document containing the completed response document. The AI-generated document includes a completed caption page, a preliminary statement, and tailored objections for each request, as well as a proof of service.

Why should you use Bespoke Objections?

Bespoke Objections is a game-changer for litigators. By automating the process of drafting discovery responses and generating tailored objections, it saves you valuable time that can be spent on more important tasks or simply enjoying a better work-life balance. Plus, with the power of AI, you can be confident that your responses are thorough, accurate, and effective.

Ready to try Bespoke Objections?

You can start using Bespoke Objections right now with no credit card required. Simply, click “Try for Free“, create an account, and upload your opposing counsel’s discovery requests. We look forward to hearing what you think about this groundbreaking new feature.

New Account Type: Paralegal Accounts

Briefpoint has launched Paralegal Accounts!

With the Paralegal Account, your support staff can select the attorney they’re working on behalf of and then draft documents using that attorneys’ work product.

This empowers your support staff to seamlessly create documents for your attorneys in a manner that drafts documents with your attorneys’ favorite phraseology – in their own words.

Paralegal Accounts are about half the cost of an attorney account and you can set it up right now by inviting your paralegal to Briefpoint from your firm dashboard and selecting “Invite User.”

New Feature: Automated Client & Case Management

Briefpoint has announced the addition of a new client and case management feature to its platform. This exciting new feature allows users to easily manage the documents they process for their clients in one convenient location.

With the addition of this new function, Briefpoint now independently creates, compiles, and maintains client and case information – including client contact information, documents processed by Briefpoint, approaching deadlines, and more.

Further, users can now invite other team members to join them in working on cases, facilitating smooth communication and centralized document creation.

Briefpoint now automatically extracts dates of service from your uploaded discovery requests and provides you with the due date pursuant to the California Code of Civil Procedure (CCP) – including the newer rules applicable to Electronic Service.

To use this feature, upload any California discovery request .pdf, select the manner and date of service (if not already extracted), and the date your discovery response is due will appear on your Document List page.

By way of recap, a plaintiff may serve discovery requests/interrogatories 10 days after service of the complaint.

Responses to written discovery are due within 30 days of the service of the discovery, unless mailed (which adds 5 days to the due date) or served electronically (explained below).

For California electronic service, there are two wrinkles that impact the due date:

First, any “document that is served electronically on a noncourt day shall be deemed served on the next court day.” CCP 1010.6(a)(5).

Second, the deadline to respond to electronically served discovery requests is extended by two court days. CCP 1010.6(a)(4)(B).

For example, if a Request for Production is electronically served on January 14, 2023 (a Saturday), then, pursuant to CCP 1010.6(a)(5), the date of service is next court day (in this case, Tuesday, January 17th).

30 days after January 17th is February 16, 2023 (a Thursday).

Two court days after February 16th, 2023 is Tuesday, on February 21st, 2023 (that Monday is President’s Day).

Accordingly, any discovery request served electronically on January 14, 2023 has a response deadline 38 days later.

Luckily, if you’re using Briefpoint, you won’t need to do any of these calculations because we’ve done the math for you (and incorporated all of the court days / court holidays into our system for the next decade of discovery work):

Give it a shot for yourself by trying Briefpoint for free today.