Episode 57- Billable Work v. Investment Hours (Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking on Time Management)

Counsel to Counsel - Career Advice for Lawyers

Paul Morton has a lot to say about the term “non-billable hours”. Paul is the COO of the law firm Burns and Levinson in Boston. He has been a figure in law firm administration for well over 30 years and he has seen a lot of changes during that time including increased billing pressure on lawyers. But according to Paul, billable hours should not take priority over all non-billable work. In fact according to Paul, the phrase “non-billable hours” should be replaced with “investment hours”.

Simply put, attorneys need to generate income for their firms in the short run. But they also need to invest time in marketing, law firm management, professional development, and self-care. In the long run, investing in these activities is good for firm profitability, career satisfaction, and mental health.

Carving out time for “investment hours” is challenging for many lawyers. There are many things competing for an attorney’s time and time management is not a skill taught in law school. And once you are on a law firm, you are largely rewarded for the number of hours you bill. So how do you balance the two?

Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking, has some answers! She is an expert on the subject.

Sarah is the founder of True Focus Coaching Inc. She is a speaker, coach, and Productivity and Time Matters Expert with over 20 years of experience. She empowers professionals and entrepreneurs to get a grip on time so that they can get to the next level in their lives and businesses.

In this episode, Sarah and I discuss some of the challenges that busy lawyers face in managing their time. Sarah offers some very practical tips to help us understand how to be more productive, more effective, and more present.