Non-Billable Time

Let's talk about non-billable (or investment) time. You cannot make a career in law--let alone #biglaw--without bolstering your substantive, billable work with non-billable, investment time.

The trick, for me, has been two fold: (a) think about what I'm doing each day and whether what I'm doing adds value to my career or to my firm; and (b) track everything that fits that bill.

The obvious categories are: pro bono work, bar association events and volunteering, community boards and committee work, mentoring and being mentored, recruiting, CLEs, etc.

But, there are loads of other things I do to support my career, my colleagues, my firm, and my network, like:

⌚ working on and growing my professional brand;

⌚ triaging emails, entering my time, and making the next day's timesheet and to-do list (things that propel my caseload and clients forward, but that I'm no ticking .1s to every time);

⌚ reviewing and updating my master case chart each week;

⌚ 1:1 calls with members of my network--no matter their role or the purpose of the call;

⌚ business development--coaching, planning, brainstorming;

⌚ prepping and planning for speaking engagements or interviewing with media/press/podcasts;

⌚ administrative tasks and work;

⌚ monitoring, tracking, and adjusting goals--billable hour goals, annual goals, all professional goals.

If I can imagine someone at my firm being glad that someone at the firm is doing the task--for the firm, for my career, for a client--then I track it.

I hear a lot of: "But, why?" or "Does this matter?" or "They don't really take this into account when they decide my raise or bonus."

To that, I say:

These things fill your plate when the billable work slows--which it will at times. It shows your firm that you are not

These are things you likely already do--not things you necessarily come up with because the firm expects you to do them.

These should be things you like doing--not things you think you should be doing, but things you enjoy and that, as a bonus, grow your professional identity.

These are things that help distinguish you. If you and "Attorney B" are nearly identical on paper, but you have you tracked all the extra you do for yourself, for your network, for you firm, it is not hard to see how that lands, how that sets you apart.

And: the investment expected by the firm only grows as you become more and more senior. If you start tracking that time now, and incrementally grow it as you rise through the ranks, you'll be ready, already, when you step into each new level and role.

Non-billable, investment time is not paid for by clients. It is not paid attention to in the same, micro-level way as your billable time. But it is as important. It is often very fulfilling time that propels you forward--as much as the billable work, just in a different way.

So track it. Show your worth. Build the habit. It will pay off.

#mindfullyemily #emilylitigates #lawyerwellbeing #professionalwomen