Prioritization, discipline, digital tools, and personal boundaries are all important to organize a lawyer’s work time and maintain efficiency. How to maintain balance when deadlines are looming, clients are increasing, and the day is only 24 hours?
In the new episode of the podcast ‘Expert Opinion’, the head of the Youth Committee of the National Bar Association of Ukraine – UNBA NextGen Igor Andriyev shared his own approaches to this issue.
For beginners, setting priorities is difficult, the speaker noted. There is a desire to cover as many tasks as possible to earn money and gain experience. But it is important to remember about discipline, court hearings, and reputation.
Experienced professionals, on the other hand, prioritize based on a different principle: preference is given to tasks that bring the most results with minimal time and energy expenditure.
Digital tools provide significant assistance — primarily calendars with reminders. I. Andriyev mentioned that he uses Google Calendar.
However, technical means are not enough — a clear communication system is also needed. The lawyer shared his own principle: no calls are accepted before 10:00, client inquiries are filtered through assistants, and the day is structured in blocks. Before lunch — work on important matters, after lunch — consultations.
“It is important to remember that your schedule is extremely important, and you need to teach your clients to value it,” emphasized I. Andriyev. “You must defend your time frames – then you will manage everything.”
But working with everyone at once is a wrong strategy, including at the stage of professional growth, the lawyer believes. He advises forming a specialization and filtering inquiries. This especially applies to ‘toxic clients,’ cooperation with whom can be harmful to the lawyer.
In his opinion, the ability to refuse is not only about efficiency but also about safety. And, importantly, it does not harm reputation if the refusal is reasoned and thoughtful.
Professional burnout is also a real threat. To maintain efficiency, a lawyer must take care of themselves. I. Andriyev admits that after intense work, he feels the need to rest — takes a break for a few days several times a month.
The ability to rest without stopping office work is provided by the team. But regardless of position or workload, every lawyer must take care of their own health, motivation, and inspiration.