Many attorneys I know spend a significant portion of their day
working in Outlook. If that's you, keep reading. Here are 10 ways
to help you use Outlook more effectively.
Schedule Emails by Delaying Delivery
While you may work 24/7 for your clients, do you really want
them to think you are available at 3 a.m. on Saturday morning? I'd
advise against it. Instead, use Outlook's Delay Delivery feature
found in Options tab of a message. You can then specify the date
and time to send the email. You might also use Delay Delivery to
schedule an email reminder to a client the day before they are due
in court.
Flag Outgoing Emails
Most Outlook users are familiar with flagging incoming email for
follow up purposes. But, did you know that you can also flag
outgoing email? This is a great strategy when the response you need
is time-sensitive. Rather than count on the recipient to respond in
a timely manner, attach a flag and reminder for yourself to follow
up with the recipient.
Pin Emails to Your Inbox
Most Outlook users have heard of flags, but have you heard of
pins? And, what's the difference? Flagging an email in Outlook adds
the email to a list for follow up at a later date. You can flag
emails with different priorities levels, start dates and due dates.
Pins are different. You pin an email by clicking the pin icon at
the top of a message to keep it at the top of your inbox. If there
is a message you know you need to handle ASAP, but don't have the
time to do it while processing your emails, pin it to the top of
your inbox so that when you come back to your inbox later, you
won't lose track of it among all the other email that has trickled
into your inbox.
Use Rules to Sort Emails Automatically
Rules serve a number of functions. First, rules can help you to
keep your inbox more manageable by sifting out clutter that isn't
essential on a daily basis. For example, create a rule for
e-newsletters or list serves that you could view at a later date.
Go to Rules and Create Rule to move emails received from the sender
of the e-newsletter immediately from the inbox to another folder.
Now, those emails will bypass your inbox. Second, rules can help
alert you to important information. For example, use a rule for
e-filing notices. Set up the rule to flag the email for importance
or to pin it to the top of your inbox and copy the email to a
case-specific folder.
Use Quick Steps to Run Workflows
Quick Steps are similar to Rules, but don't run automatically. A
Quick Step is a workflow that you run manually by clicking on that
Quick Step. You can configure Quick Steps just like Rules. For
example, if you receive multiple messages from one sender every
day, you might consider a Quick Step to run on your inbox to move
all those messages to a certain folder. You could run this at the
end of the day, rather than moving each message manually.
Automate Repetitive Emails with Quick Parts
Do you often send out the same email time and time again? Maybe
it is a response to a frequently asked question from clients or a
template email to a prospective client. Whatever it is, don't waste
your time by manually typing the text each time. Use Quick Parts to
save the text. Then, next time you need that text, just click on
the Quick Part you want to use.
Save Client Folders as PDF Portfolios
If you are not already archiving your client emails to a case
management system, you can use Adobe Acrobat's Outlook add-on to
save the contents of entire folders as searchable PDF portfolios.
By selecting a specific client folder in Outlook and creating a PDF
portfolio, you'll capture all the contained email messages and
attachments.
Drag and Drop Emails to Create a Calendar
Entry
When an email contains a deadline or appointment, rather than
create a new calendar entry and copy that information to it, drag
and drop the email onto your calendar. That action will turn the
email directly into a calendar entry and the contents of the email
will appear in the notes field of the calendar entry.
Learn Keyboard Shortcuts
Use keyboard shortcuts for your most frequent Outlook actions.
At the very least, use the following keyboard shortcuts.
Compose New Email:
Ctrl + N (Windows)
Command + N (Mac)
Send:
Ctrl + Enter (Windows)
Command + Return (Mac)
Reply to Sender:
Ctrl + R (Windows)
Command + R (Mac)
Delete:
Ctrl + D (Windows)
Command + Delete (Mac)
Flag for Follow Up:
Ctrl + Shift + G (Windows)
Control + 1 (Mac)
Turn Off Notifications
Turn off email notifications. Just do it! Instead, schedule time
to process your emails two to three times a day. You'll be amazed
by how much time you've saved!
Heidi S. Alexander, Esq. is the director of Practice
Management Services for Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers, where she
advises lawyers on practice management matters, provides guidance
in implementing new law office technologies, and helps lawyers
develop healthy and sustainable practices. She frequently makes
presentations to the legal community and contributes to
publications on law practice management and technology. She is the
author of the ABA Law Practice Division's, Evernote as a Law
Practice Tool, and serves on the ABA's TECHSHOW Planning Board.
Heidi previously practiced at a small firm and owned a technology
consulting business. She also clerked for a justice on the highest
court of New Jersey and served as the editor-in-chief of the
Rutgers Law Review. She is a native Minnesotan, former collegiate
ice hockey goaltender for the Amherst College Women's Ice Hockey
Team, and mother of three young children.