The Single Best Tool I’ve Received: Brian Driscoll on Contemporaneous Time at Preg O’Donnell & Gillett
A litigation attorney on why time captured as it happens is more complete, more timely, and truer to the work than a day reconstructed after the fact.
Brian Driscoll’s day at Preg O’Donnell & Gillett is a litigator’s day: calls, emails, meetings, drafting, and court-related work, in no particular order and with no natural pauses. For years, timekeeping meant reconstructing that day after the fact.
“Hourglass fit into my workflow almost immediately,” he says. “It captures activities as they occur and makes it much easier to contemporaneously record time. That reduces the administrative burden and improves accuracy.” His summary is blunter: “It is the single best tool I have ever received for improving my work performance.”
The work that used to go unbilled
Ask him for the strongest argument for Hourglass and he doesn’t reach for convenience. He reaches for the tail of the day. “Attorneys are busy and frequently switch between tasks. Hourglass creates a much more complete record of work performed. That improves billing accuracy, but it also lets attorneys focus on practicing law rather than trying to remember what they did several hours ago.”
The change shows up on the bill. “Since adopting Hourglass, my billing entries are more complete, more timely, and more reflective of the work actually performed. I’m spending less time reconstructing my day and I’m less likely to miss smaller tasks that deserve to be billed.” The result, in his words, is “greater confidence that my invoices reflect the full scope of my work.”
Small on any given day, large by the end of the year
To the attorney who thinks a timekeeping tool can’t move the needle, he makes the revenue argument. “Timekeeping is one of the few administrative tasks that directly affects revenue. Even small improvements in capturing time consistently and accurately have a significant impact over a month or a year. The difference may not seem dramatic on any given day, but it adds up quickly.”
Built with practicing attorneys in mind
What has stayed with him is less a feature than a habit. “On multiple occasions I’ve suggested improvements or raised questions, and the team has taken the time to discuss them thoughtfully, and often to incorporate user feedback into future development. That willingness to listen and iterate has given me confidence that the product is being built with practicing attorneys in mind.”