BE THAT LAWYER
BE THAT LAWYER

Elizabeth Grace Saunders: From Chaos to Control — Time Management Strategies for Lawyers

24 August 2026 34:09 Steve Fretzin

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About this episode

Drowning in emails, client demands, and late nights at the office? In this episode, you’ll learn how to use boundaries, focus, and smart delegation to transform your law practice from constant chaos into a business you actually enjoy running.

 

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Elizabeth Grace Saunders discuss:

  • Power of boundaries in time management
  • Recognizing when your schedule has become a problem
  • Niching and being selective about legal work and clients
  • Setting and resetting client expectations around access and response times
  • Delegation, email efficiency, and leveraging AI tools

 

Key Takeaways:

  • Boundaries are one of the most powerful tools for managing time, and they start with taking responsibility for what you tolerate from clients, colleagues, and yourself.
  • You have a time management problem when your schedule consistently harms your health, relationships, or client service—regardless of the number of hours you work.
  • Saying yes to every kind of matter and every type of client creates “crazy” in a practice; focus on your true area of expertise and on clients who are a good fit and can pay reliably.
  • Clear, consistent expectations around availability and response times—communicated up front and reinforced by your behavior—train clients to respect your time.
  • Delegation, better email protocols, and AI tools that draft or prioritize messages can reclaim hours each week and free you to do higher-value legal and business development work.

 

"You need to be very clear within yourself and very explicit with your client when you are or not available." —  Elizabeth Grace Saunders

 

Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again.

 

Join the Be That Lawyer Community and connect with ambitious lawyers who are serious about growing their book of business, strengthening their brand, and becoming confident, consistent rainmakers.

 

Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don’t miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/

 

Thank you to our Sponsor!

LEX Reception: https://www.lexreception.com/partners/bethatlawyer

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Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/

 

About Elizabeth Grace Saunders: Elizabeth Grace Saunders is a time management coach, member of the Forbes Coaches Council, and best-selling author of The 3 Secrets to Effective Time Investment, How to Invest Your Time Like Money, and Divine Time Management. Since founding Real Life E Time Coaching & Training in 2009, she has helped thousands of individuals globally—including newly promoted professionals and parents—overcome burnout, reduce stress, and achieve work-life balance. Named one of the World’s Top 30 Time Management Professionals by Global Gurus annually since 2018, Elizabeth regularly contributes to Harvard Business Review and Fast Company, drawing on prior corporate experience at Meredith Corporation and Abbott Laboratories and her summa cum laude degree from Drake University.

 

Connect with Elizabeth Grace Saunders:  

Website: https://reallifee.com/

 

Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin

Twitter: @stevefretzin

Instagram: @fretzinsteve

Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.

Website: Fretzin.com

Email: [email protected]

Book: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!

YouTube: Steve Fretzin

Call Steve directly at 847-602-6911

 

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

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