Not all emails are important [Productivity for lawyers podcast season]

Oct 17, 2022

Welcome, lawyers. This season on the Wildly Successful Law Firm podcast, I’m talking about productivity and time management. Our main character, your client, will be Cinderella. This isn’t a fairy tale, but rather a nightmarish story of what most lawyers experience every day: shitty productivity, unbilled hours, and constantly feeling like you are doing too much and at the same time, not doing enough.

Here’s where we left off last week:

Cinderella is interviewing potential attorneys and you’re on the shortlist. She’s emailed you…and her email is trapped between junk emails from your local Bar association and your paralegal’s 2 week-notice.

Last week on the podcast, I shouted how important it is to unsubscribe from junk emails. Stop FOMO-ing, thinking you’re going to miss out on some important piece of communication from Clio or lose out on a business opportunity from Aligned or Next Door.

Here’s how serious I am about unsubscribing from junk emails.

If you’ve been on this email list for over a year and you’ve never reached out to me to work with me, or you skim through this email and don’t listen to the podcast:

Please unsubscribe here.

OK, now for this week’s Cinderella drama…

You’ve found Cinderella’s email in your hell-box, errr inbox. And you’re typing your response to Cinderella…some generic language like:

“Cinderella, thanks for the opportunity to speak with you about your family matters and potential claims. Let’s set up a time to talk. When are you available? Here’s my calendar link for convenience.”

While you’re typing this basic AF email, your phone pings 3 times, and it’s your mom/wife/partner emailing you to bring home milk, and oh, did you pick up the dry-cleaning…(no you didn’t, add that to your list of shit to do).

Then, you stopped to check an email from opposing counsel, read an application received email from USCIS, got distracted by your inbox, and forgot to respond to Cinderella.

(PS - every consultant, marketer, and attorney service provider is screaming at you, because you complain about not having clients, and then when they reach out to hire you…you fail to do your part…respond).

Here’s the thing: email has an inherent hierarchy, and NOT ALL EMAILS ARE IMPORTANT.

In fact, some emails don’t even need to be opened.

Here’s what I mean by email hierarchy:

Read AND RESPOND to all emails from potential, current and past clients within 24 hours. Even if the response says “received, and working on a more detailed response.”
Skim emails from opposing counsel and judges chambers. Respond within 24-48 hours. Use your judgment here, if it’s a case that’s going to trial next week, respond sooner.
Colleagues, other attorneys, etc - skim and respond within 2-4 days.
Newsletters, law updates, law articles, etc. Read for later (e.g., weekend, toilet time, etc)
Marketing from other businesses - like this email - SEO good practices, practice management tips, indeed tips on hiring - unsubscribe or save for toilet time.
Clothing retailers, amazon, BestBuy - unsubscribe. Seriously. They are a massive distraction and everything is always on sale. Every week. These emails are NOT important, get them out of your inbox NOW.

If email has been killing your productivity, then listen in to part 2 of email tips to save you from your inbox this week: