Time management as a lawyer Forum
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Time management as a lawyer
Hello.
So every now and then I hear about the sleep deprived lawyer, the overworked the lawyer, the this, that, the whatever. Spending a bazillion hours...
Let me just state my opinion, which is that if you cannot complete your stuff in between the hours of lets say like 11-4 3 days a week or so, you shouldn't be burning excess to fit in for a couple reasons.
1. There are people who better at your job than you and deserve to be there, instead of you.
2. There are people who are more like you doing other jobs and you will be more happy there, instead of where you are.
IMO 20 hours is the absolute max... that a person can really work a week, let alone... anything else... I mean there's only 24 hours in a day? It's kind of like people who want to get up earlier and earlier and earlier, well guess what this whole thing called time is like well think about it
Like if you get up at 5 AM and your one of those types, well I'm sorry but human biology is currently such that you are absolutely going to be tired by like 10 PM or so which means you don't get those hours, obviously.
I mean earlier than 5 AM? Again, I'm sorry, but you are basically just going to be considered a night owl by time and space and not the "early bird" you so desperately want. That's just night shift, are you a janitor? I guess you are.
My experience in legal profession in both law school and outside of law school, and well, to be honest with the "professional class" generally is the only people who are truly "happy" are the ones who just kind of accept these limitations and work within reason.
My experience with the people who are in the thousand hour category is that they tend to appreciate the things like the money, or, status, or, just, something, or maybe just the sense that this is really a better way to go about things, and so they stick with it as long as they can... but I guess I just am like you know you would still have money and, status, and, plenty of things, at like just a regular old jane or joe at Uncy John's law firm or whatever, and that's where a lot of these people end up anyway.
So what do you all think is a reasonable amount of actual work per week, not just fake filler time stuff, like a reasonable amount of time to invest, because honestly whenever I see absurd hours I just am like... how? Not just... why... but literally how... only 24 hours a day and all that.
So every now and then I hear about the sleep deprived lawyer, the overworked the lawyer, the this, that, the whatever. Spending a bazillion hours...
Let me just state my opinion, which is that if you cannot complete your stuff in between the hours of lets say like 11-4 3 days a week or so, you shouldn't be burning excess to fit in for a couple reasons.
1. There are people who better at your job than you and deserve to be there, instead of you.
2. There are people who are more like you doing other jobs and you will be more happy there, instead of where you are.
IMO 20 hours is the absolute max... that a person can really work a week, let alone... anything else... I mean there's only 24 hours in a day? It's kind of like people who want to get up earlier and earlier and earlier, well guess what this whole thing called time is like well think about it
Like if you get up at 5 AM and your one of those types, well I'm sorry but human biology is currently such that you are absolutely going to be tired by like 10 PM or so which means you don't get those hours, obviously.
I mean earlier than 5 AM? Again, I'm sorry, but you are basically just going to be considered a night owl by time and space and not the "early bird" you so desperately want. That's just night shift, are you a janitor? I guess you are.
My experience in legal profession in both law school and outside of law school, and well, to be honest with the "professional class" generally is the only people who are truly "happy" are the ones who just kind of accept these limitations and work within reason.
My experience with the people who are in the thousand hour category is that they tend to appreciate the things like the money, or, status, or, just, something, or maybe just the sense that this is really a better way to go about things, and so they stick with it as long as they can... but I guess I just am like you know you would still have money and, status, and, plenty of things, at like just a regular old jane or joe at Uncy John's law firm or whatever, and that's where a lot of these people end up anyway.
So what do you all think is a reasonable amount of actual work per week, not just fake filler time stuff, like a reasonable amount of time to invest, because honestly whenever I see absurd hours I just am like... how? Not just... why... but literally how... only 24 hours a day and all that.
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
Good luck telling the partners at your firm that you only plan on working 11-4, 3 days a week.
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
No one substantively respond to this please
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
Best of luck friend.
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
OP u sound a little triggered by the fact others are billing way more than you...
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- TLSModBot
- Posts: 14835
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
Even if I wanted to, I'm not even sure how this would be possiblelawhopeful100 wrote:No one substantively respond to this please
- TLSModBot
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- Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2011 11:54 am
Re: Time management as a lawyer
It's so simple! The answer to Biglaw stress and huge time demands is to simply work less!
What dummies we all are. After all, no lawyer has ever been shown the door for failing to make billing targets!
What dummies we all are. After all, no lawyer has ever been shown the door for failing to make billing targets!
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Re: Time management as a lawyer

Last edited by Minnietron on Sat Jan 27, 2018 12:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- zot1
- Posts: 4476
- Joined: Thu Jan 31, 2013 12:53 am
Re: Time management as a lawyer
Stick to sitting on top of baked potatoes.
- rpupkin
- Posts: 5653
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
Great moments in Modern English:
1599. Shakespeare writes Hamlet
1611. Church of England completes translation of King James Bible
1776. Thomas Jefferson drafts Declaration of Independence
1851. Herman Melville writes Moby Dick
2016. Baconbits posts Time Management as a Lawyer
1599. Shakespeare writes Hamlet
1611. Church of England completes translation of King James Bible
1776. Thomas Jefferson drafts Declaration of Independence
1851. Herman Melville writes Moby Dick
2016. Baconbits posts Time Management as a Lawyer
- zhenders
- Posts: 943
- Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 10:21 pm
Re: Time management as a lawyer
Lame. Try harder; delete username and start over mate.
- Barack O'Drama
- Posts: 3272
- Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 7:21 pm
Re: Time management as a lawyer
Capitol_Idea wrote:It's so simple! The answer to Biglaw stress and huge time demands is to simply work less!
What dummies we all are. After all, no lawyer has ever been shown the door for failing to make billing targets!
LMAO

Last edited by Barack O'Drama on Fri Jan 26, 2018 7:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- encore1101
- Posts: 826
- Joined: Tue Oct 22, 2013 10:13 am
Re: Time management as a lawyer
This is a good start, OP. Now take a break from writing your manifesto and submit a "Before" writing sample so we can compare the debilitating effects that sleep deprivation has had on your mind.
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- kellyfrost
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- Joined: Mon Nov 09, 2015 3:58 pm
Re: Time management as a lawyer
rpupkin sets it up and knocks it down. This post basically settles this entire thread. Thank you rpupkin.rpupkin wrote:Great moments in Modern English:
1599. Shakespeare writes Hamlet
1611. Church of England completes translation of King James Bible
1776. Thomas Jefferson drafts Declaration of Independence
1851. Herman Melville writes Moby Dick
2016. Baconbits posts Time Management as a Lawyer
Last edited by kellyfrost on Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Time management as a lawyer
It sounds like it was written by a california 14 yo chewing bubble gumBaconbits wrote:Hello.
So every now and then I hear about the sleep deprived lawyer, the overworked the lawyer,the this, that, the whatever.Spending a bazillion hours...
Let me just state my opinion, which is that ifyou cannot complete your stuff in between the hours of lets say like 11-4 3 days a weekor so, youshouldn't be burning excess to fit in for a couple reasons.
1.There are people who better at your job than you and deserve to be there, instead of you.
2. There are people who are more like you doing other jobs and you will be more happy there, instead of where you are.
IMO20 hours is the absolute max... that a person can really work a week, let alone... anything else...I meanthere's only 24 hours in a day?It's kind of likepeople who want to get up earlier and earlier and earlier,well guess what this whole thingcalled timeis like well think about it
Like ifyou get up at 5 AM and your one of those types,wellI'm sorry but human biologyis currently such thatyou are absolutely going to be tired by like 10 PM or so which means you don't get those hours,obviously.
I meanearlier than 5 AM? Again,I'm sorry,but you are basically just going to be considered a night owlby time and spaceand not the "early bird" you so desperately want. That's just night shift, are you a janitor? I guess you are.
My experiencein legal profession in both law school and outside of law school,and well, to be honestwith the "professional class"generally isthe only people who are truly "happy" are the ones who just kind of accept these limitations and work within reason.
My experiencewith the people who are in the thousand hour category is that they tend to appreciate the things like the money,or, status, or, just, something, or maybe justthe sense that this is really a better way to go about things, and so they stick with it as long as they can...but I guess Ijust am like you know you would still have money and, status, and, plenty of things, at like just a regular old janeor joe at Uncy John's law firm or whatever, and that's where a lot of these people end upanyway.
So what do you all think is a reasonable amount of actual work per week,not justfake filler time stuff, like a reasonable amount of time to invest,because honestly wheneverI see absurd hoursI just am like... how? Not just... why... but literally how...only 24 hours a day and all that.
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- Posts: 432524
- Joined: Tue Aug 11, 2009 9:32 am
Re: Time management as a lawyer
HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHrpupkin wrote:Great moments in Modern English:
1599. Shakespeare writes Hamlet
1611. Church of England completes translation of King James Bible
1776. Thomas Jefferson drafts Declaration of Independence
1851. Herman Melville writes Moby Dick
2016. Baconbits posts Time Management as a Lawyer
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