SkyLaw’s Nina Lavoie Quoted in CBA Article: Tips for Reducing Non-Billable Hours

The Canadian Bar Association asked SkyLaw’s Nina Lavoie to provide tips on how lawyers can reduce their non-billable hours. The article, Working for Free? Tips for Reducing Non-Billable Hours, has now been published in the CBA’s online magazine, the CBA PracticeLink.

Here are some highlights from the article:

For instance, at SkyLaw, “we aren’t looking to reduce the number of hours that we spent on pro bono work we do for charities, organizations and not-for-profits,” said Lavoie. “So we focus on finding the right technological tools and the right people in our firm to manage various non-billable tasks, which in turn reduces the total number of hours spent on completing non-billable work.”

 

The lawyers at SkyLaw have reduced non-billable hours by using the Slack messenger service to quickly send staff instant messages, rather than composing time-consuming complex emails. This boutique law firm also relies on Evernote to compile and share notes in real-time during meetings. “Evernote’s cloud-based platform allows me to get up to speed on something I have missed on my own time, without having to ask someone to loop me in,” Lavoie said.

 

“The results thus far have been substantial,” said Lavoie. “We have been able to work more efficiently individually, and as a team. It is easier for us to keep track of our colleague’s schedules and the goings-on in the firm. We are more organized – and our inbox is less full.”

If you would like to learn more on how to free up your time and how to effectively manage your non-billable hours, click here to read CBA’s full article.