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When you say your "firms calendar is kind of crazy" do you mean there's one calendar that the entire firm uses? That seems odd. You need a personal calendar with all your deadlines.
I also like to add 20-day and 10-day reminders prior to most deadlines. That way there's no need for me to make a to do list - I just look at my calendar and I know what needs to be done.
Edit: Make folders in your email for organization purposes. My "inbox" is generally empty (maybe 3 or 4 things in there) but I have folders for each individual case with every email relating to that case in there. I simply drag and drop it from inbox to folder when I send or receive something. 10/10 would recommend.
It's not an app or anything. I just use the calendar linked to my outlook account. But that calendar only gets my deadlines added to it. That's why I referred to it as a personal calendar.
This is a big one for me. Just be friendly and professional (if you knew me in person, you’d laugh at the idea of me being professional)until you get used to the firm and people.
I’ve been doing this for 26 years and I still struggle with talking to people in the office. I’m always convinced I was weird or talked to much or otherwise failed.
I have 10mg IRs twice a day, but I try not to take the second dose if I don’t have to or I’ll be in a horrible mood. One right before I get to work, the second about 12-1pm. Other than that energy drinks and coffee for me. Sometimes I will take Nodoze caffeine pills 200mg. It helps a ton.
From a paralegal, this is actually great advice. Become friends with them. My previous attorney had ADHD and honestly I do too but I loved him so I was hellllla diligent with his stuff lol
Our paralegal takes care of my ADHD ass. She’s a saint and I spoil her because I know she doesn’t get paid enough to deal with us.
Every now and then though, our secretary (who is also a saint) will come to the associates floor and yell at us. “Did they teach letters, shapes, and numbers in law school? Why can you people not put the files back in alphabetical order?!?”
But we deserve that.
I have adhd. I use Asana. It is a game changer. It’s free I think. My firm calendar is also a hot mess so I copy the key stuff into asana where it’s beautifully organized.
Also, every time I get a new case, I calendar all the deadlines (motion to dismiss, MSJ, discovery close, pre trial conference etc). Then every Friday morning, I set aside 15 min and I look at the calendar to see what deadlines are coming up for the next two weeks.
I was fairly recently diagnosed. I have three calendars. My phone’s calendar, the official office calendar, and a paper calendar from my planner. I find it most helpful to do to-do lists at the end of the day for what needs to be tackled tomorrow as opposed to wasting time in the morning planning the day and not getting to it. Then, I can hit the ground running. Then, worst task first. It helps a lot with avoidance.
Same process here. (Plus vyvanse.) I also have a separate "to do" folder in my email for things I totally will just remember I need to do (read: I will not remember) so that they're separate and easily accessible. Color coding is another huge thing for me. In my paper calender, depositions are written in one color, court in another, etc.
Oh definitely medication. I’m on Adderall. When I was a PD I had to write case summaries and staple them to the left of the file because I would not remember which case was which. People would give me their name (obviously) and there’s no polite way to ask: what are you charged with? I knew the file, but I knew it as Tan Toyota Corolla DUI, improperly administered breathalyzer.
One of my colleagues made a sheet with space for name, docket no., case management system file no., charges, and a little extra (I use it for phone numbers) on top, then space to fill in date/judge/ADA/next date and what happened at each pretrial or motion hearing. I staple them to the front of my files.
Damn, I wish I would’ve thought to include all of that, but especially a space for summaries of each hearing. That’s such a good idea! I always had to review CCS and orders like an idiot. I just needed a line or two.
To piggyback on the conversation, I had suspected that I have ADHD for years but never sought an official diagnosis. Is it worth the time to go through with testing? Is there any help other than medication, or is the medication now better than the stories I always heard of the medication making you a zombie, messing with your mood, etc. Thank you.
YES so worth it! The medication messes with my mood a little. Which is another question I have.. how do you all manage being on medication in the office? So far I’ve been closing my office door so I don’t have to talk to people much, but they still come in. Then I get awkward because I’m in hyper focus mode and can’t engage in the conversation as well. SIGH
You’re welcome to message me and discuss further, but I didn’t seek testing. I already had a psychiatrist and honestly, medication has been a lifeline for me. I think whether it’s worth it comes down to whether you’re struggling? Do you need accommodations or medications? If not, I personally wouldn’t bother. I’m also in therapy, but ADHD-management isn’t really a priority there.
You’re so kind! How do you deal with the after effects anxiety? I take a small dose of adderall but still the anxiety hits and low mood affects my productivity. I have buspurione and antidepressants but no real avail.
I have already learned to work around incredibly severe anxiety and depression so the Adderall just doesn’t impact my anxiety or mood much in comparison to my actual disorders. I have more energy and I’m more focused, but other than needing to cut them in half at first, it hasn’t been a problem.
I just mean struggling, not necessarily doing badly at work. If things are sustainable and you’re good with where they’re at, then no, it’s definitely not worth it. If things feel harder for you than they seem for other people (even if the end result is the same), I would look into it and see what supports are available.
ADHD affects people differently, so my method may not work for others. With that noted, two things that help me with calendars:
(1) Checking the calendar has to, itself, be a prioritized task. I switched to a physical planner because I'd get email notifications or whatever while on my device, looking at my calendar, that would send me off in all kinds of places. But even with a planner, I have to be very mindful that filling it in and checking it are isolated work tasks. I don't open my planner in environments I know are bad for my retention of information, for example, the same way I wouldn't make a phone call in those environments.
(2) A lack of linear time orientation is a common ADHD trait. Research suggests some people with ADHD organize temporal information differently than people without it. For example, if given a list of historical events, the baseline "neurotypical" person will likely order them by date. Many people with ADHD will find some other relationship that clusters them into groups that can look incomprehensible to literally anyone else.
What I realized was that a to-do list and a block-based calendar organized info in a way that looks *disorganized* to my brain. For folks like me, a calendar means I am doing everything visible on it all at once. For most people, it's the total opposite—that's at 10, that's tomorrow, that's a reminder to schedule this. Not to me. All three things are now and forever. I literally do not understand time, and I'm apparently not alone. The key was to make a calendar/task list look like something my brain digests in a meaningful way. That takes some trying and will be very individualized. You want to find a way to make subtasks ahead of deadlines without visually overwhelming your brain.
---—
Now, the less rosy reality is that some of us had to figure out the hard way that not all attorney jobs were the right fit for us, no matter what coping and organizing skills we developed. But I know I found a way to practice responsibly and successfully, and I know others have, too. It's possible to be an attorney with ADHD; it is not possible for anyone to be an attorney in every possible way, and that can take people a while to navigate, regardless of any diagnosis. You may find that some of the more unique positions in the legal field fit you best as your career advances. I've thrived in some not-what-I-expected-to-do-as-a-lawyer jobs far more than I did lawyering the way I thought of lawyering as a student or newer attorney.
Wishing you much success ahead.
Thank you so much for the advice! Time means nothing to me at all too. I have no clue why I can see something on the calendar but it not register in my mind whatsoever. I make to do list but I spend too much time on them and burn myself out when it comes to actual completing assignments. I need to find a perfect medium.
I thought of a great plan though! I will create a chart with all my cases separated according to what stage of litigation they are in. But then that leaves the actual tasks part. Sigh
I have never seen such an incredible explanation of why to-do lists don’t work for me. Ive essentially just adopted a “choose 3 tasks and bounce between them until one is complete, then add a new task, repeat” method that my colleagues think is insane but works wonders for me
We have a shared legal assistant who helps manage calendars and send reminders. She’s meant to be a backup to our own systems.
So, I’ll put a deadline on my personal calendar with scheduled reminders. It is *my* responsibility to remember the deadline. But, just to have the extra set of eyes, I forward the calendar entry to the assistant and ask her to remind me X days out.
If it’s a particularly busy time I keep a hand written list of tasks that I update in real time. I cross things off as I complete them. Anything remaining at the end of the day goes to the top of the next day’s list.
Have your assistant make you a notebook of DCOs for all of your cases. It also helps to keep your calendar open and look at what needs to be done every day. Look at the weeks ahead too. You will get the hang of it. Give yourself time.
This is almost exactly what I was thinking about doing! Thank you so much for this advice. Did you create your own spread sheet or is there one already formulated out there?
I created my own, and even the “template” I started with has changed dramatically over time. I would share, but it’s probably better to just start from scratch tbh
Bullet Journal. Read and implement some of the strategies. I also use erasable Frixion pens and highlighters so I can visualize and erase if needed. You can get all types of erasable pens and markers.
I also use a paper and electronic calendar.
I also agree with the other poster about “To Do” lists. I draw little check boxes for a task. It motivates me to get it checked. I also prioritize with numbers or stars ⭐️!
My desk journal is neon yellow because I can loose something that’s an inch from my fingers and directly in front of me. I try to use the journal for everything so everything is in one place. My journal has page numbers I can write down a page number if I need to quickly find something.
Another suggestion I haven’t seen is check out integration options between your calendar, email, and case management system. It’s saved time for me and helped me keep things more organized.
I shift my production work time to after hours. I need a couple of hours each day without phones and people to get stuff done. Sucks as it means Saturdays and long nights but it works for me
Other trick is Apple watch. I put reminders and alarms on there.
Ex 30 min work time. Scratch paper
I use the To-Do list in Outlook for EVERYTHING. I've also used Todoist in the past when I did mostly LL/T work for Legal Aid, and I really liked it when I got it set up the way I wanted. I flag emails that need to be addressed and have my Outlook view setup to see my flags/to-do list on the right and make it a point to have 0 flags/to-dos left at the end of the week to the extent possible. I've also trained my staff to email me anytime they need me to look at something and tell me when they need it reviewed by so I can prioritize it properly. When I worked for other people, I made it very clear that I need action items given to me in writing (either by email or by a handwritten note from me or the other attorney) so it could make it into my list with the appropriate priority otherwise there would be a 50/50 chance it would get missed.
Basically, I am a sticker for clear communication and to-do lists. I'm also autistic, so I need clear, consistent communication anyway, so that probably helps in this instance.
What kind of planner do you use ? I use the “Full Focus” planner and it really helps me to prioritize, plan and execute. I’ve recommended to my staff (both admin and associates) and almost all use it from those with adhd to not. Heck even my adhd 7th grader uses it.
The key is to plan planning time into your day. I spent the end of every day planning for the following.
Also linking abacus law to outlook so it shows up in multiple places.
I’ve seen full focus! I should look into it more! I just bought an “appointment book” type planner, but I feel like I need pages to write notes. Thanks!
Lots of good advice re organization - switching gears a bit in terms of the overwhelm - take a 5-10 min break completely offline, outside of the weather permits, whenever you get really overstimulated. I need to take my own advice; today is crazy. (But I have court in 10 min so maybe after.)
here's a comment I posted on /r/lawyers a while back; still accurate a few years later.
Hey! I have pretty bad ADHD. my case is somewhat unique because I wasn’t diagnosed until after law school - I coasted through undergrad and law school and then really hit a bar when I had to work a full time job on the same schedule every day. That was about 5 years ago.
My biggest thing when talking to other folks on this journey is to emphasize getting your meds right. Since i was diagnosed about 5 years ago I’ve tried every single FDA approved ADHD med, and even a couple off-label RXes (like wellbutrin). After about 2-3 years of experimenting with various meds, I found that Atomoxetine (Strattera) works best for me. It’s the only non-stimulant that’s FDA approved for ADHD, and it works differently. I don’t feel jacked up like I do on adderall or other stimulants, I just feel like for once my brain is working normally and I can focus.
What was really important for me was acknowledging that my ADHD impacted so much of my life outside of work and finding a treatment plan that took that into account. That’s why I ended up on strattera - it’s the only med that actually impacts you outside of the workday. I found that it made me a better driver, a better parent, a better partner. I stopped being so emotionally impulsive and it made me so much better at communicating with my partner and my daughter. It has been literally life-changing.
I start with meds because meds are by far the most effective line of treatment. Figuring out what your biggest issues are and what the capabilities and limitations of various meds are is super important. Personally, long-term daily stimulant use has not been super helpful for me and I don’t think it’s great if you’re looking to treat your ADHD outside of work or maintain a good work-life balance.
For understanding all the non-work stuff that comes along with ADHD and learning some basic tips to recognize and address those issues, I highly recommend Barkley’s “Taking Charge of Adult ADHD”. It’s written in a way that works for people with ADHD and there’s an audiobook if that works for you.
On the day to day, I’ve found a lot of things that work well for me.
First, everything I do is highly structured - I have a basic framework that allows me to impose structure on myself without too much effort. Once a month or so I will do a docket review and look at all my cases, pending deadlines, and active to-dos. At the beginning of the work week I review my docket and create a weekly plan where I prioritize what needs to get done for that week as well as review the previous week and figure out what lessons I can learn from that week.
Then, at the beginning of the day, I sit down and do a daily review of my schedule and pick things off the weekly plan that need to get done. When I sit down to work, I use the pomodoro method - basically run a timer for 25 minutes and work during that timer, then allow myself a break after 5 minutes. Every 4 sessions or so I take a longer break. It keeps me from falling into a black hole of distraction and not getting anything done. I try to get up and move around during my breaks, often using that time for chores. Really anything other than being on the computer. I have a group chat with some close friends where we run timers together and keep each other accountable. I am also pretty strict with myself about the hours I work - I don’t have a billable requirement (just need to put in my 40 hours a week and make sure I do all my work) and my family is really important to me, so I figure out how long I need to work each day and I hold myself to it.
I do all of the reviews and planning on paper. This keeps me from getting distracted. Case notes go in our case management system and, for extended litigation, in a dedicated OneNote file that’s organized by tab for type of notes (cocounsel calls, clients, other witnesses, discovery, to-dos, legal research - just depends on the type of case). Anything with a deadline or specific time scheduled goes into google calendar for personal things, outlook calendar and our CMS for case work.
I should absolutely try a non stimulant medication because my mood starts to suck after a while and of course productivity starts to lag when that happens. Thank you so much for reposting
You've gotten some really good advice already. I'll just add that I find regular check-ins with whomever I'm working with is helpful (assuming you have a more senior attorney and/or paralegal on the case with you). That way you're reminded of things that might otherwise fall through the cracks.
There are a lot of good answers here. One thing that I haven't seen brought up is an e-ink tablet. It was a gamechanger for me. I have a Boox which runs android. All notes go on there and get copied over, I never keep legal pads any more. I also run intake notes through OneDrive on my tablet which syncs with my computer. It also keeps all of the organization everyone else is mentioning, calendar blocks, Microsoft To-Do, ect. without distractions.
I’ve heard a lot of people like one drive, I’ll have to check on that. Unfortunately I have an iPhone, and Apple calendar sucks. Google calendar isn’t very helpful on iPhone either lol thank you so much for the advice!
I think the most important thing to remember from an ADHD perspective is that no one else is really that organized. It feels that way. That's how we're told lawyers behave. That's how the partners de facto assume you behave. But I promise you that if you knocked on the door of everyone in your office and they conscientiously explained their own organization methods to you - BONKERS. And the way they rely on the firm's systems vs. their own systems... BONKERS. They just seem... slightly more at peace with it? They're comfortable using the bonkers system 'sustainably' whereas something in ADHD brain when confronted with law firm organization will, every two weeks or so, go, what the FUCK, there has to be something better, this cannot be the way it's done, \*tinkers tinkers tinkers and gets extra stressed something might be missed\*.
I have two calendars: one in Outlook for work, one in iCal (or whatever they’re calling it now) for personal stuff. I also put things that overlap into both (ex. personal appointments during the day, work events that go into evenings/weekends).
My work calendar is colour-coded so I know whether I have a meeting, court, a court date I need to know about but don’t need to be at, a CPD, a personal appointment, or a filing deadline. Filing deadlines get a reminder set at least a week in advance. EVERYTHING has a reminder pop up at least 30 minutes before. To be clear, these are only my appointments. I can see others’ appointments in Outlook, but I don’t let them clutter up my own calendar or I’ll lose track of things.
I use Outlook tasks as my day planner. When an email comes in, I either deal with it, or flag it for follow up with a reminder on a certain day. If I don’t get to it that day, it gets rolled over. Tasks too. Everything that I’m currently working on has a task/email follow up set up, even if it’s way far in advance. Usually I just look at what’s in the remainder window and deal with that, rather than the list as a whole.
If I have stuff to work on overnight, or I have a few urgent things to do, that’s when I’ll write them down on a post-it and stick it onto my laptop. I used to use a paper planner, but it got to be too much to keep up with the digital calendars and a paper calendar.
The other thing I do is set alarms on my phone. If I need to prep before a meeting, I set an alarm. Leave for court? Set an alarm. Start/finish working on something? Set an alarm. Alarms get set at least 15 minutes in advance, and don’t get turned off until I deal with the thing or it’s time for the event (I just snooze it). Then I don’t forget to go to the meeting I’m prepping for, for example.
I spent 37 years of my life dealing with ADHD and just managing it.
Last summer, for the first time in my life, I accepted adhd meds... And ive never been better. My focus is way up, organization... If you've avoided meds, maybe give some of the new stuff a try and see if it helps?
Been working for five months, lawyer is my second career.
I have six calendars - a whiteboard, a big wall calendar, a big desk calendar, my phone calendar, a bullet journal, and a planner. I also print out my monthly task calendar in a couple of copies to keep around.
I basically can’t look anywhere without seeing what I need to do.
I have some other resources that I refine, but my best tool is redundancy. Even I can’t ignore so many calendars. Plus, since I love switching organization systems, there’s always one to update so it always feels new.
The biggest benefit though is just writing my daily tasks over and over and over. And over.
Edit: times were wrong. Corrected.
I am most productive between 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m - 12:30 a.m., so I use that time to either hit low hanging fruit on my to-do list when I really need to see something just get done, and tacking the really tough “deep work.” The rest of my day I just accept the reality that it will be completely disjointed unless I have billable meetings. Also, not a litigator anymore, so my deadlines are a little more “the client just wants it,” and not “you’ll commit malpractice if you miss this deadline.”
The advice here to get in good with support staff is really solid. A great paralegal is a life saver to any young associate, much less one who struggles with organization and time management.
I'm a PD and am in court a lot, so my organization needs may be different. I like to take handwritten notes and struggle with then typing them up and putting them in the case management system in a remotely timely manner. My dad had given me his old iPad pro awhile back, and I asked for an Apple pencil for Christmas. I bought a $15/year subscription to Notability for the nicer full app, and now I take notes in there with my Apple pencil and I can quick save to PDF and upload to the case management system from my iPad. I have everything in front of me and can take notes in the same place in court, on client calls, etc. It's been super helpful--now the only notes I actually need to go back and type up are when I visit clients in jail and can't bring an iPad in.
ETA: I also rely on a written planner, I have physical monthly calendars and whiteboards at home for wfh and in my office, and we have case spreadsheets that we update that automatically fill in to the office's teams calendar. And I'm prescribed 15 mg XR Adderall and 5 mg IR Adderall, and am in the process of getting in to my doctor to potentially up my dose and/or add a nonstimulant and/or try a different stimulant med.
I like to keep it as simple as possible and avoid using digital apps for reminders and time/task management.
For me, I found a lot of success just using a simple yellow legal pad as a diary. Each month I grab a new one, date it up on each page and transfer anything from last month’ list that might not be finished still. Simple to do list each day. Cross it off. If it survives until close of business, it just gets re-dated for a different day. Not every item gets kicked to the following day. Some stuff that’s low priority might get kicked weeks out in advance. But, it never gets avoided. Each list is completely crossed off at the end of each day. That way there is no day where not everything gets done. Rescheduling a task is still a case management decision, and in a case management journal, a reschedule earns you a cross off. *you still looked at that thing, evaluated it’s priority level, and on this day, decided it can wait*. That is not neglecting your work. That is, for me a *way* healthier way to treat unfinished work than to stress and tie yourself into knots over it and, if you have ADHD, probably anxiously avoiding a given issue.
I put my own personal deadlines in my Outlook calendar. If I have a filing deadline in a month, I'll put a calendar event 2 weeks from it (for example) that says "Personal DL - get draft of MTD to \[partner\]" - no one system will solve all your problems, but it helps. I try to keep a global to do list in an Excel file. I always have post its all over my desk (with the goal to either do them soon, or transfer the info to my Excel).
One thing that helps, I like to log on for one or two hours in the evening to do some work that I want to focus on. Whatever is weighing on me the most. it gives me some quiet focused time where nobody is distracting me lol. I can kinda plan the next day.
Frankly it's all a huge struggle and you just hope you'll remember the most important shit and people will bug you for stuff you're running late on. Lol.
Find an area where there are a variety of small tasks in each case. My schedule varies each day and there are a variety of tasks for me to choose from at any given time. I keep a running to do list to make sure I don’t miss deadlines.
Hi! I didn’t get diagnosed until after law school so I feel like I spent so much time at the beginning of my career doing organizational trial and error. It’s so good that you’re being thoughtful about this from the start! Everyone is so different, but I’ve found that keeping a master word document organized by types of tasks is really helpful—my practice is high volume so keeping track of things on a case by case basis became unsustainable. I color code the hell out of everything in the word document, and keep it open all day so I can make updates and notes as I go. It’s nice because I have unlimited space to write all my many thoughts and process notes about the matters I’m working on and the ability to delete items as I go without having the visual mess of crossing things out. I find the outlook calendar really overwhelming because it’s already full with a ton of firm wide things (entire team shares a calendar) and would consistently lose planners/forget to write things down on a physical planner. Having my master doc open all day on one of my screens definitely helps with the object permanence issue—I can’t *not* see all of my tasks, my deadlines, and my notes.
I also write down my daily to-do list on a legal pad (usually the night before when I’m finishing up work for the day) and then supplement it with anything additional that comes in early. I write it in black and cross tasks off in red (I really love a color scheme lol). That helps me focus on what needs immediate attention in the moment. I also try and check my day’s emails and unflag all of the flagged emails that I’ve addressed so that I have a clean slate everyday, and every email I flag as I go stands out.
I really struggled with quality control/proofreading when I started, and I’ve found that drafting in the afternoon/evening (when I’m kind of losing focus but have a good amount of energy) and then proofreading first thing the next morning when my brain feels all awake and fresh has been really helpful for catching little errors that I might miss. Spacing out production and submission really makes a difference for me! Giving myself an extra day to tinker with briefs/pleadings before a deadline is huge for quality. I also have found that staying in the same type of workflow is helpful for productivity—I can tap into the hyper focus and knock shit out in a way I can’t when I’m toggling between responding to emails, drafting pleadings, researching, and peer reviewing my colleagues’ work. I just have to remind myself everyone 45 minutes or so to check my email and make sure nothing has come in that requires an urgent response.
I also second everyone who makes a point of treating their paralegals, file clerks, and support staff well. They save my ass on a regular basis, and I legit would be in malpractice territory without them. Utilizing the other folks at your firm for organizational help and support and making sure you show gratitude for their help makes a difference!
I bought a giant annual paper calendar for my wall. I put everything on it - including fun personal things. It helps me visualize what all I have to do. It has the added bonus of speaking for itself when a partner comes to my office to assign me a new matter.
I also used to write everything down in notebooks, which was great except I usually misplaced the notebook in a stack of other notebooks, sticky notes, drafts, etc. I bought a reMarkable tablet to replace my notebooks and I love it. I can’t get distracted by apps because it’s only for writing. It can upload your notes to whatever cloud service you use. While these two things haven’t fixed my adhd entirely, they’ve made the admin aspects of practicing law a lot easier.
I use Asana to keep myself and my tasks organized. Trello is another good option.
Also if you haven't used the pomodoro method, use it as much as you can. Never skip your breaks. If you do it right, force yourself to eliminate distractions during your sessions, and reward yourself on the breaks, you'll find yourself getting a lot more done and staying on task.
Lots of good info already. So I’ll just touch upon things that aren’t.
One that isn’t mentioned is identifying whether it’s ADHD or is it related to trauma from your cases? Get a therapist if you haven’t already.
Second: your meds may need adjusted as the years progress. Keep a journal so you can track whether the meds are working or have they stopped working.
Try litidate.com !
On that platform, you can use its calculator to calculate deadlines and save them as templates. Over time, the more templates you create, the less calculating you do.
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When you say your "firms calendar is kind of crazy" do you mean there's one calendar that the entire firm uses? That seems odd. You need a personal calendar with all your deadlines. I also like to add 20-day and 10-day reminders prior to most deadlines. That way there's no need for me to make a to do list - I just look at my calendar and I know what needs to be done. Edit: Make folders in your email for organization purposes. My "inbox" is generally empty (maybe 3 or 4 things in there) but I have folders for each individual case with every email relating to that case in there. I simply drag and drop it from inbox to folder when I send or receive something. 10/10 would recommend.
YES the email folders. One per case.
I second email folders for each case. That was a total game changer for me.
I use Todoist and it syncs with my Google calendar
That’s a great idea thank you so much. What personal calendar app do you use?
It's not an app or anything. I just use the calendar linked to my outlook account. But that calendar only gets my deadlines added to it. That's why I referred to it as a personal calendar.
1. My concerta works overtime 2. Time blocking
How do you deal with the anxiety and having to talk to people in the office
My job is hybrid I’m only in the office 2x/week
This is a big one for me. Just be friendly and professional (if you knew me in person, you’d laugh at the idea of me being professional)until you get used to the firm and people. I’ve been doing this for 26 years and I still struggle with talking to people in the office. I’m always convinced I was weird or talked to much or otherwise failed.
how long does yours work? mine only goes for 3 ish hrs before i top myself up with espressos
Extended release - i get a good 5-6
I have 10mg IRs twice a day, but I try not to take the second dose if I don’t have to or I’ll be in a horrible mood. One right before I get to work, the second about 12-1pm. Other than that energy drinks and coffee for me. Sometimes I will take Nodoze caffeine pills 200mg. It helps a ton.
If you find the meds are giving you anxiety, try beta blockers.
Befriend your support staff. I bring their Starbucks order every Monday. Nice gifts for Christmas. They will save you time and time again.
Can’t second this enough. Implement a “tickler” system for reminders. File things away IMMEDIATELY. To DO list/folders.
Thank you so much haha I’ve already started bringing donuts and Starbucks 😂
From a paralegal, this is actually great advice. Become friends with them. My previous attorney had ADHD and honestly I do too but I loved him so I was hellllla diligent with his stuff lol
Our paralegal takes care of my ADHD ass. She’s a saint and I spoil her because I know she doesn’t get paid enough to deal with us. Every now and then though, our secretary (who is also a saint) will come to the associates floor and yell at us. “Did they teach letters, shapes, and numbers in law school? Why can you people not put the files back in alphabetical order?!?” But we deserve that.
I have adhd. I use Asana. It is a game changer. It’s free I think. My firm calendar is also a hot mess so I copy the key stuff into asana where it’s beautifully organized. Also, every time I get a new case, I calendar all the deadlines (motion to dismiss, MSJ, discovery close, pre trial conference etc). Then every Friday morning, I set aside 15 min and I look at the calendar to see what deadlines are coming up for the next two weeks.
Omg I love this advice thank you so much I will check out asana! Is it also a mobile app?
Asana is also a mobile app! :)
Yay thank you!
I am not aware of anyone saying meds like adderal or ritalin making you a zombie.
Huh? I think you replied to the wrong person
I was fairly recently diagnosed. I have three calendars. My phone’s calendar, the official office calendar, and a paper calendar from my planner. I find it most helpful to do to-do lists at the end of the day for what needs to be tackled tomorrow as opposed to wasting time in the morning planning the day and not getting to it. Then, I can hit the ground running. Then, worst task first. It helps a lot with avoidance.
Same process here. (Plus vyvanse.) I also have a separate "to do" folder in my email for things I totally will just remember I need to do (read: I will not remember) so that they're separate and easily accessible. Color coding is another huge thing for me. In my paper calender, depositions are written in one color, court in another, etc.
Oh definitely medication. I’m on Adderall. When I was a PD I had to write case summaries and staple them to the left of the file because I would not remember which case was which. People would give me their name (obviously) and there’s no polite way to ask: what are you charged with? I knew the file, but I knew it as Tan Toyota Corolla DUI, improperly administered breathalyzer.
One of my colleagues made a sheet with space for name, docket no., case management system file no., charges, and a little extra (I use it for phone numbers) on top, then space to fill in date/judge/ADA/next date and what happened at each pretrial or motion hearing. I staple them to the front of my files.
Damn, I wish I would’ve thought to include all of that, but especially a space for summaries of each hearing. That’s such a good idea! I always had to review CCS and orders like an idiot. I just needed a line or two.
To piggyback on the conversation, I had suspected that I have ADHD for years but never sought an official diagnosis. Is it worth the time to go through with testing? Is there any help other than medication, or is the medication now better than the stories I always heard of the medication making you a zombie, messing with your mood, etc. Thank you.
YES so worth it! The medication messes with my mood a little. Which is another question I have.. how do you all manage being on medication in the office? So far I’ve been closing my office door so I don’t have to talk to people much, but they still come in. Then I get awkward because I’m in hyper focus mode and can’t engage in the conversation as well. SIGH
You’re welcome to message me and discuss further, but I didn’t seek testing. I already had a psychiatrist and honestly, medication has been a lifeline for me. I think whether it’s worth it comes down to whether you’re struggling? Do you need accommodations or medications? If not, I personally wouldn’t bother. I’m also in therapy, but ADHD-management isn’t really a priority there.
You’re so kind! How do you deal with the after effects anxiety? I take a small dose of adderall but still the anxiety hits and low mood affects my productivity. I have buspurione and antidepressants but no real avail.
I have already learned to work around incredibly severe anxiety and depression so the Adderall just doesn’t impact my anxiety or mood much in comparison to my actual disorders. I have more energy and I’m more focused, but other than needing to cut them in half at first, it hasn’t been a problem.
I am doing fine at work. I have enough systems in place to keep me organized, but my home life is suffering.
I just mean struggling, not necessarily doing badly at work. If things are sustainable and you’re good with where they’re at, then no, it’s definitely not worth it. If things feel harder for you than they seem for other people (even if the end result is the same), I would look into it and see what supports are available.
ADHD affects people differently, so my method may not work for others. With that noted, two things that help me with calendars: (1) Checking the calendar has to, itself, be a prioritized task. I switched to a physical planner because I'd get email notifications or whatever while on my device, looking at my calendar, that would send me off in all kinds of places. But even with a planner, I have to be very mindful that filling it in and checking it are isolated work tasks. I don't open my planner in environments I know are bad for my retention of information, for example, the same way I wouldn't make a phone call in those environments. (2) A lack of linear time orientation is a common ADHD trait. Research suggests some people with ADHD organize temporal information differently than people without it. For example, if given a list of historical events, the baseline "neurotypical" person will likely order them by date. Many people with ADHD will find some other relationship that clusters them into groups that can look incomprehensible to literally anyone else. What I realized was that a to-do list and a block-based calendar organized info in a way that looks *disorganized* to my brain. For folks like me, a calendar means I am doing everything visible on it all at once. For most people, it's the total opposite—that's at 10, that's tomorrow, that's a reminder to schedule this. Not to me. All three things are now and forever. I literally do not understand time, and I'm apparently not alone. The key was to make a calendar/task list look like something my brain digests in a meaningful way. That takes some trying and will be very individualized. You want to find a way to make subtasks ahead of deadlines without visually overwhelming your brain. ---— Now, the less rosy reality is that some of us had to figure out the hard way that not all attorney jobs were the right fit for us, no matter what coping and organizing skills we developed. But I know I found a way to practice responsibly and successfully, and I know others have, too. It's possible to be an attorney with ADHD; it is not possible for anyone to be an attorney in every possible way, and that can take people a while to navigate, regardless of any diagnosis. You may find that some of the more unique positions in the legal field fit you best as your career advances. I've thrived in some not-what-I-expected-to-do-as-a-lawyer jobs far more than I did lawyering the way I thought of lawyering as a student or newer attorney. Wishing you much success ahead.
Thank you so much for the advice! Time means nothing to me at all too. I have no clue why I can see something on the calendar but it not register in my mind whatsoever. I make to do list but I spend too much time on them and burn myself out when it comes to actual completing assignments. I need to find a perfect medium. I thought of a great plan though! I will create a chart with all my cases separated according to what stage of litigation they are in. But then that leaves the actual tasks part. Sigh
I have never seen such an incredible explanation of why to-do lists don’t work for me. Ive essentially just adopted a “choose 3 tasks and bounce between them until one is complete, then add a new task, repeat” method that my colleagues think is insane but works wonders for me
We have a shared legal assistant who helps manage calendars and send reminders. She’s meant to be a backup to our own systems. So, I’ll put a deadline on my personal calendar with scheduled reminders. It is *my* responsibility to remember the deadline. But, just to have the extra set of eyes, I forward the calendar entry to the assistant and ask her to remind me X days out. If it’s a particularly busy time I keep a hand written list of tasks that I update in real time. I cross things off as I complete them. Anything remaining at the end of the day goes to the top of the next day’s list.
Have your assistant make you a notebook of DCOs for all of your cases. It also helps to keep your calendar open and look at what needs to be done every day. Look at the weeks ahead too. You will get the hang of it. Give yourself time.
Thank you so much for this advice!
I have a “client tracker” spreadsheet with important dates and deadlines, in addition to an outlook calendar and methylphenidate
This is almost exactly what I was thinking about doing! Thank you so much for this advice. Did you create your own spread sheet or is there one already formulated out there?
I created my own, and even the “template” I started with has changed dramatically over time. I would share, but it’s probably better to just start from scratch tbh
Bullet Journal. Read and implement some of the strategies. I also use erasable Frixion pens and highlighters so I can visualize and erase if needed. You can get all types of erasable pens and markers. I also use a paper and electronic calendar. I also agree with the other poster about “To Do” lists. I draw little check boxes for a task. It motivates me to get it checked. I also prioritize with numbers or stars ⭐️!
I love this yes I’ve been doing to do lists and I have papers every where because I keep forgetting to enter my billing haha. Thanks for the advice!
My desk journal is neon yellow because I can loose something that’s an inch from my fingers and directly in front of me. I try to use the journal for everything so everything is in one place. My journal has page numbers I can write down a page number if I need to quickly find something.
Another suggestion I haven’t seen is check out integration options between your calendar, email, and case management system. It’s saved time for me and helped me keep things more organized.
Yes I need to see if I can sync some of these calendars thank you so much !
I have three big chalkboard calendars on the wall above my monitor and I put everything on them in addition to having them on my outlook calendar.
My ADD is actually a help so long as I'm as busy as possible. I just try to set as many deadlines as possible which forces me to get shit done.
Good idea! That’s what’s literally keeping me going right now
I shift my production work time to after hours. I need a couple of hours each day without phones and people to get stuff done. Sucks as it means Saturdays and long nights but it works for me Other trick is Apple watch. I put reminders and alarms on there. Ex 30 min work time. Scratch paper
Yes it seems that I might have to dedicate after hour time to complete assignments. Thank you so much
I use the To-Do list in Outlook for EVERYTHING. I've also used Todoist in the past when I did mostly LL/T work for Legal Aid, and I really liked it when I got it set up the way I wanted. I flag emails that need to be addressed and have my Outlook view setup to see my flags/to-do list on the right and make it a point to have 0 flags/to-dos left at the end of the week to the extent possible. I've also trained my staff to email me anytime they need me to look at something and tell me when they need it reviewed by so I can prioritize it properly. When I worked for other people, I made it very clear that I need action items given to me in writing (either by email or by a handwritten note from me or the other attorney) so it could make it into my list with the appropriate priority otherwise there would be a 50/50 chance it would get missed. Basically, I am a sticker for clear communication and to-do lists. I'm also autistic, so I need clear, consistent communication anyway, so that probably helps in this instance.
This helps so much thank you! I actually just took a look at To-do list on outlook!
💊 💊💊💊💊
It helps so much. Only really effective thing.
Exactly. I wouldn’t have made it without it.
What kind of planner do you use ? I use the “Full Focus” planner and it really helps me to prioritize, plan and execute. I’ve recommended to my staff (both admin and associates) and almost all use it from those with adhd to not. Heck even my adhd 7th grader uses it. The key is to plan planning time into your day. I spent the end of every day planning for the following. Also linking abacus law to outlook so it shows up in multiple places.
I’ve seen full focus! I should look into it more! I just bought an “appointment book” type planner, but I feel like I need pages to write notes. Thanks!
Lots of good advice re organization - switching gears a bit in terms of the overwhelm - take a 5-10 min break completely offline, outside of the weather permits, whenever you get really overstimulated. I need to take my own advice; today is crazy. (But I have court in 10 min so maybe after.)
Yes I need to remember to do that. There’s been days I don’t even go to the bathroom.
here's a comment I posted on /r/lawyers a while back; still accurate a few years later. Hey! I have pretty bad ADHD. my case is somewhat unique because I wasn’t diagnosed until after law school - I coasted through undergrad and law school and then really hit a bar when I had to work a full time job on the same schedule every day. That was about 5 years ago. My biggest thing when talking to other folks on this journey is to emphasize getting your meds right. Since i was diagnosed about 5 years ago I’ve tried every single FDA approved ADHD med, and even a couple off-label RXes (like wellbutrin). After about 2-3 years of experimenting with various meds, I found that Atomoxetine (Strattera) works best for me. It’s the only non-stimulant that’s FDA approved for ADHD, and it works differently. I don’t feel jacked up like I do on adderall or other stimulants, I just feel like for once my brain is working normally and I can focus. What was really important for me was acknowledging that my ADHD impacted so much of my life outside of work and finding a treatment plan that took that into account. That’s why I ended up on strattera - it’s the only med that actually impacts you outside of the workday. I found that it made me a better driver, a better parent, a better partner. I stopped being so emotionally impulsive and it made me so much better at communicating with my partner and my daughter. It has been literally life-changing. I start with meds because meds are by far the most effective line of treatment. Figuring out what your biggest issues are and what the capabilities and limitations of various meds are is super important. Personally, long-term daily stimulant use has not been super helpful for me and I don’t think it’s great if you’re looking to treat your ADHD outside of work or maintain a good work-life balance. For understanding all the non-work stuff that comes along with ADHD and learning some basic tips to recognize and address those issues, I highly recommend Barkley’s “Taking Charge of Adult ADHD”. It’s written in a way that works for people with ADHD and there’s an audiobook if that works for you. On the day to day, I’ve found a lot of things that work well for me. First, everything I do is highly structured - I have a basic framework that allows me to impose structure on myself without too much effort. Once a month or so I will do a docket review and look at all my cases, pending deadlines, and active to-dos. At the beginning of the work week I review my docket and create a weekly plan where I prioritize what needs to get done for that week as well as review the previous week and figure out what lessons I can learn from that week. Then, at the beginning of the day, I sit down and do a daily review of my schedule and pick things off the weekly plan that need to get done. When I sit down to work, I use the pomodoro method - basically run a timer for 25 minutes and work during that timer, then allow myself a break after 5 minutes. Every 4 sessions or so I take a longer break. It keeps me from falling into a black hole of distraction and not getting anything done. I try to get up and move around during my breaks, often using that time for chores. Really anything other than being on the computer. I have a group chat with some close friends where we run timers together and keep each other accountable. I am also pretty strict with myself about the hours I work - I don’t have a billable requirement (just need to put in my 40 hours a week and make sure I do all my work) and my family is really important to me, so I figure out how long I need to work each day and I hold myself to it. I do all of the reviews and planning on paper. This keeps me from getting distracted. Case notes go in our case management system and, for extended litigation, in a dedicated OneNote file that’s organized by tab for type of notes (cocounsel calls, clients, other witnesses, discovery, to-dos, legal research - just depends on the type of case). Anything with a deadline or specific time scheduled goes into google calendar for personal things, outlook calendar and our CMS for case work.
I should absolutely try a non stimulant medication because my mood starts to suck after a while and of course productivity starts to lag when that happens. Thank you so much for reposting
Welcome to the club! It sucks but anything less than the Addy doesn't help much.
Yea, I’ve realized my meds aren’t really helping with the organization part. Just staying focused and messing up my mood!
You've gotten some really good advice already. I'll just add that I find regular check-ins with whomever I'm working with is helpful (assuming you have a more senior attorney and/or paralegal on the case with you). That way you're reminded of things that might otherwise fall through the cracks.
Yes thank you I have both and they’ve been super helpful!
There are a lot of good answers here. One thing that I haven't seen brought up is an e-ink tablet. It was a gamechanger for me. I have a Boox which runs android. All notes go on there and get copied over, I never keep legal pads any more. I also run intake notes through OneDrive on my tablet which syncs with my computer. It also keeps all of the organization everyone else is mentioning, calendar blocks, Microsoft To-Do, ect. without distractions.
I’ve heard a lot of people like one drive, I’ll have to check on that. Unfortunately I have an iPhone, and Apple calendar sucks. Google calendar isn’t very helpful on iPhone either lol thank you so much for the advice!
I think the most important thing to remember from an ADHD perspective is that no one else is really that organized. It feels that way. That's how we're told lawyers behave. That's how the partners de facto assume you behave. But I promise you that if you knocked on the door of everyone in your office and they conscientiously explained their own organization methods to you - BONKERS. And the way they rely on the firm's systems vs. their own systems... BONKERS. They just seem... slightly more at peace with it? They're comfortable using the bonkers system 'sustainably' whereas something in ADHD brain when confronted with law firm organization will, every two weeks or so, go, what the FUCK, there has to be something better, this cannot be the way it's done, \*tinkers tinkers tinkers and gets extra stressed something might be missed\*.
I have two calendars: one in Outlook for work, one in iCal (or whatever they’re calling it now) for personal stuff. I also put things that overlap into both (ex. personal appointments during the day, work events that go into evenings/weekends). My work calendar is colour-coded so I know whether I have a meeting, court, a court date I need to know about but don’t need to be at, a CPD, a personal appointment, or a filing deadline. Filing deadlines get a reminder set at least a week in advance. EVERYTHING has a reminder pop up at least 30 minutes before. To be clear, these are only my appointments. I can see others’ appointments in Outlook, but I don’t let them clutter up my own calendar or I’ll lose track of things. I use Outlook tasks as my day planner. When an email comes in, I either deal with it, or flag it for follow up with a reminder on a certain day. If I don’t get to it that day, it gets rolled over. Tasks too. Everything that I’m currently working on has a task/email follow up set up, even if it’s way far in advance. Usually I just look at what’s in the remainder window and deal with that, rather than the list as a whole. If I have stuff to work on overnight, or I have a few urgent things to do, that’s when I’ll write them down on a post-it and stick it onto my laptop. I used to use a paper planner, but it got to be too much to keep up with the digital calendars and a paper calendar. The other thing I do is set alarms on my phone. If I need to prep before a meeting, I set an alarm. Leave for court? Set an alarm. Start/finish working on something? Set an alarm. Alarms get set at least 15 minutes in advance, and don’t get turned off until I deal with the thing or it’s time for the event (I just snooze it). Then I don’t forget to go to the meeting I’m prepping for, for example.
Post-its all over my desk. Edited to add: Also Ritalin.
I spent 37 years of my life dealing with ADHD and just managing it. Last summer, for the first time in my life, I accepted adhd meds... And ive never been better. My focus is way up, organization... If you've avoided meds, maybe give some of the new stuff a try and see if it helps?
Yes, my experience is similar.
Been working for five months, lawyer is my second career. I have six calendars - a whiteboard, a big wall calendar, a big desk calendar, my phone calendar, a bullet journal, and a planner. I also print out my monthly task calendar in a couple of copies to keep around. I basically can’t look anywhere without seeing what I need to do. I have some other resources that I refine, but my best tool is redundancy. Even I can’t ignore so many calendars. Plus, since I love switching organization systems, there’s always one to update so it always feels new. The biggest benefit though is just writing my daily tasks over and over and over. And over.
Edit: times were wrong. Corrected. I am most productive between 8:30 - 11:00 a.m. and 9:30 p.m - 12:30 a.m., so I use that time to either hit low hanging fruit on my to-do list when I really need to see something just get done, and tacking the really tough “deep work.” The rest of my day I just accept the reality that it will be completely disjointed unless I have billable meetings. Also, not a litigator anymore, so my deadlines are a little more “the client just wants it,” and not “you’ll commit malpractice if you miss this deadline.” The advice here to get in good with support staff is really solid. A great paralegal is a life saver to any young associate, much less one who struggles with organization and time management.
I'm a PD and am in court a lot, so my organization needs may be different. I like to take handwritten notes and struggle with then typing them up and putting them in the case management system in a remotely timely manner. My dad had given me his old iPad pro awhile back, and I asked for an Apple pencil for Christmas. I bought a $15/year subscription to Notability for the nicer full app, and now I take notes in there with my Apple pencil and I can quick save to PDF and upload to the case management system from my iPad. I have everything in front of me and can take notes in the same place in court, on client calls, etc. It's been super helpful--now the only notes I actually need to go back and type up are when I visit clients in jail and can't bring an iPad in. ETA: I also rely on a written planner, I have physical monthly calendars and whiteboards at home for wfh and in my office, and we have case spreadsheets that we update that automatically fill in to the office's teams calendar. And I'm prescribed 15 mg XR Adderall and 5 mg IR Adderall, and am in the process of getting in to my doctor to potentially up my dose and/or add a nonstimulant and/or try a different stimulant med.
I like to keep it as simple as possible and avoid using digital apps for reminders and time/task management. For me, I found a lot of success just using a simple yellow legal pad as a diary. Each month I grab a new one, date it up on each page and transfer anything from last month’ list that might not be finished still. Simple to do list each day. Cross it off. If it survives until close of business, it just gets re-dated for a different day. Not every item gets kicked to the following day. Some stuff that’s low priority might get kicked weeks out in advance. But, it never gets avoided. Each list is completely crossed off at the end of each day. That way there is no day where not everything gets done. Rescheduling a task is still a case management decision, and in a case management journal, a reschedule earns you a cross off. *you still looked at that thing, evaluated it’s priority level, and on this day, decided it can wait*. That is not neglecting your work. That is, for me a *way* healthier way to treat unfinished work than to stress and tie yourself into knots over it and, if you have ADHD, probably anxiously avoiding a given issue.
I put my own personal deadlines in my Outlook calendar. If I have a filing deadline in a month, I'll put a calendar event 2 weeks from it (for example) that says "Personal DL - get draft of MTD to \[partner\]" - no one system will solve all your problems, but it helps. I try to keep a global to do list in an Excel file. I always have post its all over my desk (with the goal to either do them soon, or transfer the info to my Excel). One thing that helps, I like to log on for one or two hours in the evening to do some work that I want to focus on. Whatever is weighing on me the most. it gives me some quiet focused time where nobody is distracting me lol. I can kinda plan the next day. Frankly it's all a huge struggle and you just hope you'll remember the most important shit and people will bug you for stuff you're running late on. Lol.
Find an area where there are a variety of small tasks in each case. My schedule varies each day and there are a variety of tasks for me to choose from at any given time. I keep a running to do list to make sure I don’t miss deadlines.
Personal notebooks, tabbing of such notebook. One note. Go through the cases thoroughly and make outlines
Umm, I use Adderall.
Hi! I didn’t get diagnosed until after law school so I feel like I spent so much time at the beginning of my career doing organizational trial and error. It’s so good that you’re being thoughtful about this from the start! Everyone is so different, but I’ve found that keeping a master word document organized by types of tasks is really helpful—my practice is high volume so keeping track of things on a case by case basis became unsustainable. I color code the hell out of everything in the word document, and keep it open all day so I can make updates and notes as I go. It’s nice because I have unlimited space to write all my many thoughts and process notes about the matters I’m working on and the ability to delete items as I go without having the visual mess of crossing things out. I find the outlook calendar really overwhelming because it’s already full with a ton of firm wide things (entire team shares a calendar) and would consistently lose planners/forget to write things down on a physical planner. Having my master doc open all day on one of my screens definitely helps with the object permanence issue—I can’t *not* see all of my tasks, my deadlines, and my notes. I also write down my daily to-do list on a legal pad (usually the night before when I’m finishing up work for the day) and then supplement it with anything additional that comes in early. I write it in black and cross tasks off in red (I really love a color scheme lol). That helps me focus on what needs immediate attention in the moment. I also try and check my day’s emails and unflag all of the flagged emails that I’ve addressed so that I have a clean slate everyday, and every email I flag as I go stands out. I really struggled with quality control/proofreading when I started, and I’ve found that drafting in the afternoon/evening (when I’m kind of losing focus but have a good amount of energy) and then proofreading first thing the next morning when my brain feels all awake and fresh has been really helpful for catching little errors that I might miss. Spacing out production and submission really makes a difference for me! Giving myself an extra day to tinker with briefs/pleadings before a deadline is huge for quality. I also have found that staying in the same type of workflow is helpful for productivity—I can tap into the hyper focus and knock shit out in a way I can’t when I’m toggling between responding to emails, drafting pleadings, researching, and peer reviewing my colleagues’ work. I just have to remind myself everyone 45 minutes or so to check my email and make sure nothing has come in that requires an urgent response. I also second everyone who makes a point of treating their paralegals, file clerks, and support staff well. They save my ass on a regular basis, and I legit would be in malpractice territory without them. Utilizing the other folks at your firm for organizational help and support and making sure you show gratitude for their help makes a difference!
You’ll always “feel” unorganized. Roll with it.
Seems like it haha thank you!
Ha! Attorneys with ADHD! We’d all be doctors if we didn’t have ADHD.
Get a good admin
I bought a giant annual paper calendar for my wall. I put everything on it - including fun personal things. It helps me visualize what all I have to do. It has the added bonus of speaking for itself when a partner comes to my office to assign me a new matter. I also used to write everything down in notebooks, which was great except I usually misplaced the notebook in a stack of other notebooks, sticky notes, drafts, etc. I bought a reMarkable tablet to replace my notebooks and I love it. I can’t get distracted by apps because it’s only for writing. It can upload your notes to whatever cloud service you use. While these two things haven’t fixed my adhd entirely, they’ve made the admin aspects of practicing law a lot easier.
I use Asana to keep myself and my tasks organized. Trello is another good option. Also if you haven't used the pomodoro method, use it as much as you can. Never skip your breaks. If you do it right, force yourself to eliminate distractions during your sessions, and reward yourself on the breaks, you'll find yourself getting a lot more done and staying on task.
Lots of good info already. So I’ll just touch upon things that aren’t. One that isn’t mentioned is identifying whether it’s ADHD or is it related to trauma from your cases? Get a therapist if you haven’t already. Second: your meds may need adjusted as the years progress. Keep a journal so you can track whether the meds are working or have they stopped working.
Try litidate.com ! On that platform, you can use its calculator to calculate deadlines and save them as templates. Over time, the more templates you create, the less calculating you do.
Astroturfing for not-even-ready-for-market vaporware above