As lawyers, the days of our lives are filled with deadlines: statutory deadlines, court-mandated deadlines, and self-imposed deadlines to meet client expectations. These deadlines – and sufficient reminders – should be highlighted on your calendar and those of your team to ensure nothing is missed. While daytime soap operas can rely on dramatic plot twists to undo seemingly irreversible events, lawyers rarely get a second chance after missing a critical deadline and will likely face a malpractice claim. As such, you must stay on script when it comes to tracking and meeting the deadlines on your calendar. 

EPIC Law Firm Group, part of EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, recently released its 16th Annual Lawyers’ Professional Liability Claims Survey. The survey reflects input from senior claims executives at thirteen leading LPL insurers covering more than 80% of Am Law 200 firms. The survey revealed that failure to calendar or follow up on critical dates was the second most common error that resulted in legal malpractice claims. Five of the thirteen insurers polled ranked this error just behind conflicts of interest, the leading cause of claims for several years. But how does a seemingly innocent oversight become a full-blown claim? In the legal world, blowing a deadline carries harsh consequences. Specifically, your case could be dismissed, you or your client could be sanctioned, certain arguments might be waived, or you could irreparably damage the client relationship. As the EPIC survey emphasizes, “[e]very matter operates within non-negotiable time boundaries, and a single lapse can irreversibly alter the outcome.”  

So, how can you ensure you meet a deadline before the sand runs out of the hourglass? It is essential that you implement systems and safeguards to confirm deadlines are properly calendared and met. Consider these tips and best practices to avoid deadline drama in your life: 

• Utilize case management software – Today’s sophisticated case management software aims to make a lawyer’s life easier, and it should give you the assurance that all deadlines have been entered in one place. Regardless of the size of your firm, you can probably find a system that can help streamline calendaring, deadline reminders, email, and even billing. By synchronizing these critical aspects of your practice with case management software, you can better protect against missing a deadline. 
• Return to analog – While your case management system may allow you to quickly toggle between your calendar, email, and billing records on a screen, sometimes simply reviewing a printed copy of your electronic calendar can give you the peace of mind you are seeking when it comes to double checking deadlines. Printing your updated calendar on Friday afternoon and reserving time during the weekend to review it might be one way you keep upcoming deadlines on your radar. Not only could this present valuable billing opportunities as you strategize next steps in a particular case, but it may also help you plan your work week and assign tasks necessary to meet upcoming deadlines. 
• Use a second (or third) set of eyes – Despite the well-known risk of missing a statute of limitations or appellate filing deadline, lawyers continue to solely rely on their support staff to calendar these deadlines. However, this is not an administrative task. It is crucial that lawyers calculate these deadlines themselves and instruct staff and subordinate attorneys to calendar the deadline along with any reminders. Consider developing a system where another attorney verifies the deadline to confirm everyone agrees on the date. Another best practice when it comes to deadlines with definitive dates, such as those on a case management order, is to have your legal assistant provide you with a copy of the order itself so you can double check the dates they have entered on your calendar. 
• Set reasonable internal deadlines – When calendaring a deadline like the statute of limitations for filing your lawsuit or disclosing an expert witness, you must give yourself sufficient time to meet it. Like the daytime soaps juggling multiple storylines, you are handling multiple cases. You probably have several deadlines every week. So, consider setting a deadline a couple days in advance of the actual deadline to accommodate unforeseen client emergencies or another deadline on your calendar. Giving yourself this buffer may also provide the additional time you need to perfect your pleading. In addition, calendaring 30-60-90 day reminders will keep critical deadlines at the forefront of your mind, so you can better prioritize your work to comply with these deadlines. 

Lawyers cannot afford to be surprised by a missed deadline, so leave the cliffhangers to daytime TV. By implementing a comprehensive calendaring system and reviewing upcoming deadlines regularly, attorneys can reduce risk, improve client service, and ensure that the only drama in their lives stays on television.