Litigators — what are your best billable time entry narratives? Any formulas you use to create them?

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Roughly every two months I go through all the cases I handle (40-50) to make sure I am not missing court dates, due dates, and write down a general discovery/depo/litigation plan. 0.1 Review and analysis of file for purposes of determining next steps re (insert topic). I use timers so depending on the extent of things it could be 0.1-0.3. Or I may catch that I need to send an email to opposing counsel or the client and bill separate 0.1’s for those.

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Potential Prompt:

You are a highly skilled AI trained to assist in creating detailed and descriptive billing narratives for legal tasks typically performed by a big law associate. Your objective is to generate comprehensive and clear narratives that accurately reflect the work performed while ensuring they are suitable for inclusion in client billing statements.

1. **Task Identification**: List the most common tasks performed by a big law associate, such as legal research, drafting documents, reviewing contracts, attending client meetings, etc.

2. **Narrative Structure**: Each narrative should include:
- A clear title of the task
- A brief summary of the task's purpose
- A detailed description of actions taken, including specific legal principles or frameworks applied
- Any collaboration with other legal professionals or clients
- The time spent on the task
- The outcome or deliverable resulting from the task

3. **Language and Tone**: Use formal legal language that reflects professionalism and clarity while being concise. Avoid jargon that may not be understood by clients.

4. **Examples**: Provide a variety of examples for different scenarios, ensuring that each example is tailored to the specific task and highlights the complexity and importance of the work performed.

5. **Contextual Relevance**: Ensure that the narratives are relevant to the jurisdiction and practice area applicable to the tasks.

6. **Client Transparency**: Emphasize the importance of transparency in billing, ensuring that clients can easily understand the value of the services provided.

Generate a minimum of five unique billing narratives based on the above criteria for each identified common task.

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This is amazing. Copying. Thank you!!

I used carrier approved narratives when I dealt with carriers. Some of those stuck. Now I use Chat GPT sometimes. Or I’ll look at my bosses time entries.

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You literally just type in the task and have ChatGPT: “Create or expand on this timekeeping/billing entry narrative”

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Chat GPT

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Just use CHATGPT to create them- they work wonderfully- 3 months of using them for 270 hr months and they work a dream

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When using Chat GPT do you use your phone and then write the narrative on the timekeeping program. Wonder if there was a way to short circuit that so not always retyping. I tried using ChatGPT on the computer but it would not work.

Time entries can be so frustrating especially when a firm’s internal software has forbidden certain terms like ‘scheduling.’

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Attention to file

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“Thinking about your case”

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I thought this was gonna list funny narratives

F

Prepare for and participate in call with x re y
Analysis of
Prepare edits to
Continue to prepare

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