A good legal time entry should make the work understandable. It should help a partner, billing reviewer, client, legal operations team, or finance team see what work was performed, what matter or issue it related to, why the work was necessary, how much time was spent, and whether a task or activity code applies.
WeakReviewed documents.BetterReviewed revised asset purchase agreement and analyzed indemnity, termination, and closing condition provisions for client comments.
Both may describe real legal work. The second entry gives the reviewer much more useful context.
What Is a Legal Time Entry?
A legal time entry is a record of work performed by a lawyer, paralegal, or other legal professional.
A time entry commonly includes date, timekeeper, client, matter, duration, billable or non billable status, task code if required, activity code if required, description of work, and review or approval status.
ExampleTime: 1.2 hoursTask: Written DiscoveryActivity: Draft or ReviseDescription: Drafted responses to plaintiff's first set of interrogatories for partner review.
The duration shows how much time was spent. The codes classify the work. The description explains what happened.
What Makes a Good Legal Time Entry?
A good legal time entry is clear, specific, matter related, accurate, written close to when the work happened, consistent with client billing guidelines, detailed enough for review, and free from unnecessary privileged information.
A good entry should answer three basic questions: what did you do, what did you work on, and why did it matter?
WeakResearch.BetterResearched enforceability of limitation of liability clause under applicable state law for contract negotiation strategy.
Good vs Bad Legal Time Entry Examples
Document Review
BadReviewed documents.BetterReviewed revised purchase agreement and analyzed indemnity, termination, and closing condition provisions for client comments.It identifies the document, the issues reviewed, and the purpose.
Legal Research
BadResearch.BetterResearched enforceability of non-compete provisions under applicable state law for employment agreement review.It identifies the legal issue and connects the research to a client matter.
Client Call
BadCall with client.BetterJoined client call to discuss discovery timeline, outstanding document production issues, and next steps for response strategy.It explains the subject and purpose of the call.
Drafting
BadDrafted agreement.BetterDrafted revised service agreement provisions addressing payment terms, renewal rights, and termination obligations.
BadEmail to client.BetterPrepared email to client summarizing revised indemnity language and recommended negotiation position.
Internal Meeting
BadTeam meeting.BetterJoined internal matter strategy meeting to review deposition preparation plan, witness priorities, and upcoming discovery deadlines.
Legal Research Time Entry Examples
Legal research entries should explain the issue researched and the matter purpose.
Researched case law regarding enforceability of arbitration clause for motion strategy.
Analyzed state law requirements for enforceability of restrictive covenants in connection with employment agreement review.
Researched pleading standards for fraud claim in support of draft motion to dismiss.
Reviewed regulatory guidance concerning data retention obligations for client compliance assessment.
Researched precedent regarding recoverability of consequential damages under governing contract law.
Analyzed jurisdictional requirements for filing proposed action in federal court.
Legal Drafting Time Entry Examples
Drafting entries should identify the document and the major issue addressed.
Drafted revised confidentiality agreement provisions addressing permitted disclosures and return of materials.
Prepared first draft of motion to compel based on outstanding discovery responses.
Revised settlement agreement provisions regarding payment timing, release scope, and confidentiality obligations.
Drafted client memorandum analyzing termination rights under distribution agreement.
Prepared response to regulatory inquiry addressing requested compliance documentation.
Revised witness declaration regarding project timeline and contract performance.
Document Review Time Entry Examples
Document review entries should explain what was reviewed and what the lawyer was looking for.
Reviewed matter file and prior correspondence to prepare status update for client.
Reviewed document production set and analyzed privilege issues for discovery response strategy.
Reviewed revised vendor agreement and identified issues regarding liability cap, renewal rights, and termination obligations.
Reviewed deposition transcript and identified testimony relevant to summary judgment strategy.
Analyzed closing documents for consistency with negotiated transaction terms.
Reviewed internal investigation materials and prepared issue summary for partner discussion.
Client Communication Time Entry Examples
Joined client call to review revised transaction timeline, negotiation priorities, and outstanding diligence issues.
Discussed discovery response strategy and upcoming production deadlines with client.
Prepared email to client summarizing regulatory filing requirements and recommended next steps.
Joined client meeting to discuss settlement options, litigation risk, and projected case timeline.
Communicated with client regarding proposed revisions to employment agreement and restrictive covenant provisions.
Opposing Counsel Communication Examples
Prepared email to opposing counsel regarding proposed deposition schedule and outstanding document production issues.
Discussed revised settlement terms and timing for exchange of draft agreement with opposing counsel.
Communicated with opposing counsel regarding extension request for discovery response deadline.
Prepared correspondence addressing deficiencies in document production and proposed resolution process.
Internal Matter Communication Examples
Internal legal discussions may need clear descriptions, especially when the client permits billing for matter-specific collaboration.
Conferred with matter team regarding discovery response strategy and allocation of document review tasks.
Joined internal strategy meeting to review witness preparation priorities and upcoming deposition schedule.
Discussed contract negotiation position and fallback terms with supervising partner.
Reviewed case status with litigation team and identified follow-up work related to pending motion.
The client's billing guidelines should always be checked because some clients restrict or scrutinize internal conferences.
Litigation Time Entry Examples
Case Assessment
Reviewed newly received client documents and analyzed potential defenses to breach of contract claim.
Prepared case chronology based on pleadings, correspondence, and key transaction documents.
Analyzed factual record and identified issues requiring further investigation.
Pleadings
Drafted answer and affirmative defenses in response to plaintiff's complaint.
Reviewed amended complaint and analyzed new allegations for response strategy.
Prepared revisions to motion to dismiss addressing standing and causation arguments.
Discovery
Drafted responses to plaintiff's first set of interrogatories for partner review.
Reviewed document production set and analyzed privilege issues before production.
Prepared deficiency letter regarding incomplete responses to document requests.
Analyzed opposing party's discovery responses and identified follow-up issues.
Depositions
Prepared deposition outline for key witness regarding contract negotiation history.
Reviewed witness documents and prior testimony for deposition preparation.
Joined witness preparation session to review anticipated examination topics.
Reviewed deposition transcript and identified testimony relevant to dispositive motion strategy.
Motion Practice and Trial Preparation
Researched legal standards for summary judgment on contract interpretation issue.
Drafted motion section addressing absence of genuine dispute regarding damages.
Prepared witness examination outline for upcoming trial.
Reviewed exhibits and organized documents for witness presentation.
Corporate and Transactional Time Entry Examples
Reviewed revised stock purchase agreement and analyzed representations, indemnity, and closing conditions.
Prepared comments to service agreement regarding liability cap, renewal rights, and termination provisions.
Joined transaction status call to discuss outstanding diligence issues and revised signing timeline.
Reviewed disclosure schedules and identified inconsistencies with transaction documents.
Drafted board consent approving transaction documents and related closing actions.
Prepared closing checklist update and coordinated outstanding document requirements.
Employment Law Time Entry Examples
Reviewed employment agreement and analyzed non-compete, non-solicit, and confidentiality provisions.
Prepared client advice regarding employee termination process and risk mitigation steps.
Researched state law requirements related to restrictive covenant enforceability.
Drafted response to employee complaint regarding alleged discriminatory treatment.
Reviewed personnel records and prepared chronology for internal investigation.
Real Estate Time Entry Examples
Reviewed lease agreement and analyzed renewal rights, assignment restrictions, and repair obligations.
Drafted comments to purchase agreement regarding inspection period and closing conditions.
Prepared summary of title review issues for client discussion.
Reviewed landlord revisions to lease and analyzed changes to operating expense provisions.
Reviewed closing documents for consistency with agreed transaction terms.
Intellectual Property Time Entry Examples
Reviewed trademark search results and analyzed potential registration risks.
Prepared response to office action addressing likelihood of confusion refusal.
Drafted licensing agreement provisions regarding permitted use, royalties, and termination rights.
Prepared client memorandum regarding ownership and assignment of developed intellectual property.
Regulatory and Compliance Time Entry Examples
Reviewed regulatory guidance and analyzed impact on client reporting obligations.
Prepared compliance checklist based on new industry requirements.
Drafted response to regulator request for supporting documentation.
Joined client call to discuss identified compliance gaps and remediation priorities.
Reviewed internal policy against applicable regulatory requirements and prepared recommended revisions.
Legal Email Time Entry Examples
Email entries should explain more than the fact that an email was sent.
WeakEmail client.BetterPrepared email to client summarizing revised contract terms and recommended negotiation response.
WeakCorrespondence.BetterPrepared correspondence to opposing counsel regarding outstanding discovery responses and proposed cure deadline.
Legal Meeting Time Entry Examples
WeakMeeting.BetterJoined client meeting to discuss litigation budget, discovery schedule, and upcoming filing deadlines.Participated in negotiation preparation meeting regarding revised commercial terms and fallback positions.Attended transaction status meeting to discuss closing conditions, diligence issues, and outstanding documents.
Calendar-Based Time Entry Examples
Calendar titleClient callBetter time entryJoined client call to discuss revised transaction timeline, outstanding diligence issues, and negotiation priorities.Calendar titleDiscovery meetingBetter time entryJoined discovery planning meeting to review document production scope, privilege process, and response deadlines.
Short Task Time Entry Examples
Short tasks are easy to forget but may still be meaningful client work.
Reviewed client email regarding revised contract comments and prepared response.
Analyzed opposing counsel correspondence concerning proposed deposition dates.
Reviewed court notice and updated matter team regarding revised hearing schedule.
Prepared short client update regarding status of regulatory filing.
Reviewed revised clause language and provided comments to supervising attorney.
The client agreement and billing policy should determine whether and how short tasks are recorded.
Billable Time Entry Examples
Reviewed revised commercial agreement and analyzed proposed changes to payment and termination provisions.
Prepared legal research memorandum regarding enforceability of arbitration clause.
Joined client call to discuss discovery response strategy and production timeline.
Drafted settlement agreement revisions addressing release scope and confidentiality.
Reviewed deposition transcript and identified testimony relevant to pending motion.
Non Billable Time Entry Examples
Non billable entries can also be specific.
WeakAdmin.BetterUpdated internal litigation intake checklist to reflect revised matter opening process.WeakTraining.BetterAttended internal training on revised document management and matter filing workflow.WeakMarketing.BetterPrepared internal outline for upcoming practice area webinar and reviewed proposed presentation topics.
Tracking non billable work clearly helps firms understand internal workload and operational cost. See also billable vs non billable hours.
Time Entry Examples with UTBMS Codes
Codes add structure to time entries. The code classifies the entry. The narrative explains the actual work.
Example 1Task code: L120Activity code: A104Description: Reviewed case chronology and analyzed potential settlement strategy based on newly received documents.
Example 2Task code: L310Activity code: A103Description: Drafted responses to plaintiff's first set of interrogatories for partner review.
Example 3Task code: L330Activity code: A101Description: Prepared deposition outline for key witness regarding project timeline and contract negotiations.
Learn more about UTBMS codes and legal billing codes.
Time Entry Examples with Duration
0.3 hours: Reviewed client email regarding revised contract comments and prepared response addressing termination provision.
0.8 hours: Joined client call to discuss discovery timeline, document production scope, and next steps for response strategy.
1.4 hours: Reviewed revised stock purchase agreement and analyzed changes to representations, indemnity, and closing conditions.
2.2 hours: Drafted motion to compel addressing outstanding interrogatory responses and document production deficiencies.
Duration should reflect actual time and follow the firm's billing policy.
Examples of Vague Time Entries to Avoid
Avoid entries like worked on matter, reviewed documents, research, email, call, meeting, drafted document, attention to file, follow up, analyze issues, conference with team, and other work.
These phrases may describe real work, but they give too little context. A reviewer should not need to guess what happened.
Examples of Better Legal Billing Verbs
Useful verbs include reviewed, analyzed, drafted, revised, prepared, researched, evaluated, summarized, compared, negotiated, coordinated, communicated, participated, conferred, assessed, updated, and organized.
Reviewed revised agreement and analyzed proposed indemnity changes.
Drafted client memorandum regarding termination rights.
Prepared deposition outline for witness examination.
Researched applicable statute of limitations for potential claim.
Legal Time Entry Templates
Research Template
Researched [legal issue] related to [matter objective] for [document, advice, motion, or strategy].
Researched enforceability of non-compete provision related to employment agreement review for client advice.
Review Template
Reviewed [document or material] and analyzed [specific issue] for [matter purpose].
Reviewed revised purchase agreement and analyzed indemnity provisions for client negotiation comments.
Drafting Template
Drafted or revised [document] addressing [specific issues].
Drafted revised settlement agreement addressing payment timing, release scope, and confidentiality obligations.
Call Template
Joined call with [person or group] to discuss [specific matter topics].
Joined client call to discuss discovery timeline, outstanding production issues, and next steps for response strategy.
Email Template
Prepared email to [recipient] regarding [specific issue].
Prepared email to client regarding revised limitation of liability language and recommended negotiation position.
Meeting Template
Joined [type of meeting] to review or discuss [specific issues and purpose].
Joined internal matter strategy meeting to review deposition preparation plan and upcoming discovery deadlines.
Legal Time Entry Checklist
Before submitting an entry, ask:
Does the entry explain what I did?
Does it identify the document, issue, meeting, research topic, or work product?
Does it connect clearly to the matter?
Does it explain the purpose where useful?
Is the duration accurate?
Is the billable status correct?
Does the task or activity code match the work?
Does the description follow client guidelines?
Does it avoid unnecessary privileged detail?
Would a client understand the value of the work?
If several answers are no, the entry likely needs improvement.
Common Legal Time Entry Mistakes
Entering time too late
Relying on memory
Using vague descriptions
Repeating identical narratives
Using the wrong matter
Using the wrong billing code
Block billing when prohibited
Including excessive privileged detail
Failing to review calendar work
Forgetting short tasks
Using descriptions that do not explain purpose
Failing to follow client billing guidelines
Why Lawyers Struggle to Write Good Time Entries Later
A lawyer may remember opening a document three days ago. They may not remember which clauses were reviewed, which issue was analyzed, what the client asked for, what happened after the review, which matter the work belonged to, or why the task was necessary.
This is why late time entry often creates vague narratives. The closer the entry is prepared to the work, the easier it is to preserve useful context.
How AI Can Help Prepare Legal Time Entries
AI can help give lawyers a better starting point by capturing work activity, drafting time entry descriptions, suggesting task or activity codes, organizing activity into reviewable entries, improving description consistency, surfacing forgotten work, and supporting review before billing.
AI should not remove lawyer judgment. The lawyer should still decide what work should be recorded, whether the entry is billable, which matter applies, whether the description is accurate, and what gets saved or released.
Legal Time Entry Examples Summary
Good legal time entries are clear, specific, and connected to the client matter. They explain what happened, give enough context for review, use accurate durations and codes when required, avoid vague language, and follow client billing guidelines.
For a connected workflow, explore AI Billable Time Entry for Law Firms.
Related Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a legal time entry?
A legal time entry is a record of work performed by a lawyer, paralegal, or other legal professional. It commonly includes the date, duration, client, matter, billing status, description, and any required billing codes.
What is an example of a good legal time entry?
A good example is: Reviewed revised purchase agreement and analyzed indemnity, termination, and closing condition provisions for client comments. It clearly explains the work and matter purpose.
What makes a legal time entry too vague?
A legal time entry is too vague when it uses descriptions such as research, reviewed documents, call, or worked on matter without explaining the issue, document, purpose, or matter context.
How detailed should a legal time entry be?
A legal time entry should provide enough detail for a billing reviewer or client to understand the work. It should be specific without including unnecessary privileged or sensitive information.
Should legal time entries include task codes?
Task codes should be included when required by the client, eBilling system, outside counsel guideline, or firm process.
What is the difference between a legal time entry and a billing description?
The time entry is the full record of work, including duration, matter, billing status, and other details. The billing description is the narrative explaining the work performed.
Why are late time entries often worse?
Late time entries are often less accurate because lawyers forget the specific issue, document, purpose, or context of the work. This leads to vague descriptions and missed time.
Can AI help prepare legal time entries?
Yes. AI can help capture work activity, draft descriptions, suggest task or activity codes, and give lawyers a stronger starting point. Lawyers should still review and approve final entries.
