Legal time entries need to be specific enough for billing review, client understanding, and compliance with billing guidelines. But they should not disclose more confidential client information than necessary.
This balance is one of the hardest parts of legal billing. A vague entry may be rejected or written down. An overly detailed entry may reveal sensitive client information, strategy, or legal advice.
Why Confidentiality Matters in Time Entries
A legal time entry can reveal more than the amount of time spent. It may identify the client, matter, strategy, document type, transaction stage, negotiation issue, witness, regulator, counterparty, or legal advice involved.
ABA Model Rule 1.6 says lawyers generally must not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless an exception applies. It also says lawyers should make reasonable efforts to prevent inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, information relating to representation.
That matters because time entries are often seen by people beyond the lawyer who performed the work, including billing staff, supervising attorneys, clients, auditors, eBilling reviewers, and sometimes third-party systems.
This guide is for educational purposes only. Confidentiality and privilege rules vary by jurisdiction, and firms should consult ethics counsel, local rules, client guidelines, and engagement terms for specific decisions.
The Description Balance
The goal is to write descriptions that are useful but not unnecessarily revealing.
Too Vague | Too Detailed | Better Balance |
Work on matter | Drafted confidential memo regarding likely termination strategy for named executive | Drafted memorandum regarding employment agreement issues |
Call with client | Call with client about undisclosed settlement ceiling and opposing counsel weakness | Call with client regarding settlement strategy |
Review documents | Reviewed medical records for client condition and damages theory | Reviewed records related to damages analysis |
Email counsel | Email to opposing counsel about internal witness credibility concern | Corresponded with opposing counsel regarding discovery issue |
Research | Researched whether client’s prior conduct creates exposure under specific fact pattern | Researched legal issues related to potential claim exposure |
A strong description usually identifies the category of work and general subject without including unnecessary facts, names, strategy, or legal conclusions.
Common Confidentiality Risks
Confidential information can enter time entries in several ways:
Copying email subject lines directly into billing descriptions
Including names of witnesses, employees, patients, or counterparties
Describing legal advice too specifically
Naming sensitive transaction events before they are public
Revealing settlement positions or negotiation strategy
Including privileged communications in narrative form
Using internal shorthand that makes sense only inside the firm
Allowing AI-generated descriptions to include unnecessary detail without review
Many of these problems are not caused by bad intent. They happen because lawyers are busy and time entries are often written late.
Confidentiality Checklist
Before releasing a time entry, review the description with these questions:
Question | Why It Helps |
Does the entry explain the work performed? | Keeps the description useful. |
Does it include unnecessary client facts? | Reduces disclosure risk. |
Does it reveal legal advice or strategy? | Helps protect sensitive matter context. |
Does it name individuals unnecessarily? | Avoids exposing private or sensitive identities. |
Does it copy an email or document title too closely? | Prevents accidental overdisclosure. |
Would the client understand the work? | Supports billing transparency. |
Would this create concern if reviewed by a third party? | Adds a practical risk screen. |
Does it follow the client’s billing guidelines? | Reduces rejection and write-off risk. |
Better Time Entry Examples
Use these examples as a starting point. They should be adapted to the matter, client guidelines, and firm policy.
Work Type | Better Billing Description |
Contract review | Reviewed revised services agreement regarding indemnity and termination provisions. |
Client call | Conference with client regarding case status and next steps. |
Legal research | Researched legal authority related to discovery obligations. |
Drafting | Drafted memorandum regarding employment agreement issues. |
Document review | Reviewed production materials related to damages analysis. |
Strategy meeting | Internal conference regarding litigation strategy and upcoming deadlines. |
Opposing counsel | Corresponded with opposing counsel regarding discovery schedule. |
Court filing | Revised motion materials for filing and service. |
These entries are specific enough to explain the work but avoid exposing unnecessary facts.
AI and Confidential Time Entries
AI-assisted billing descriptions can save time, but they should be reviewed carefully. The lawyer should check that the description is accurate, appropriate for the client, and not too revealing.
Firms using AI for timekeeping should ask:
What data is used to generate the description?
Can the lawyer edit the output before release?
Are internal notes separated from client-facing descriptions?
Can sensitive details be minimized?
Are AI outputs stored, retained, or used for training?
Does the workflow support firm policy and client guidelines?
A good AI workflow should assist the lawyer, not bypass the lawyer.
How MIRA Fits
MIRA helps law firms capture work activity and prepare clearer draft entries. Lawyers can review captured activity inside Microsoft Teams, edit descriptions, merge related entries, exclude irrelevant activity, save work, or release approved time.
That review step matters for confidentiality. It gives the lawyer a chance to make the billing description useful while removing unnecessary client-sensitive details before the entry moves forward.
Related Resources
References
For a connected workflow, explore AI Timekeeping for Lawyers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can legal time entries contain confidential client information?
They can. Time entries may contain information related to client representation, including matter details, legal strategy, communications, and work product context.
How detailed should a legal time entry be?
A time entry should be specific enough to explain the work performed and support billing review, but not so detailed that it reveals unnecessary confidential information or legal strategy.
Should lawyers copy email subject lines into time entries?
Usually no. Email subject lines may include sensitive information or client-specific facts. It is safer to rewrite the description in a controlled, client-safe way.
Can AI help write confidential time entries?
AI can help draft descriptions, but lawyers should review and edit AI output before release to make sure it is accurate, appropriate, and not too revealing.
How does MIRA help with this workflow?
MIRA helps capture activity and prepare draft descriptions, while lawyers stay in control of editing, merging, excluding, and releasing entries.
