Feature Release
In January 2026, Laurel introduced drag-and-drop timesheet functionality, dramatically simplifying the process of converting captured work activity into billable time entries.
The Problem It Solves
Traditional Timesheet Entry
Before drag-and-drop:
- View list of activities
- Click to create new time entry
- Navigate to form
- Enter time amount
- Select project/matter
- Add description
- Save entry
- Repeat for each activity
Result: Multi-click, time-consuming process
With Drag-and-Drop
- Select one or more activities
- Drag onto timesheet
- Done - entry created automatically
Result: Single action replaces entire workflow
How It Works
Activity Capture
Laurel passively captures work activity:
- Zoom/Teams meetings
- Email in Outlook/Exchange
- Document work
- Research time
- Other application usage
The All Tab
Activities appear in the "All tab":
- Chronological list
- Uncategorized work
- Waiting to be added to timesheet
- Source of drag operations
Drag Actions
Create New Entry
Drag activity to empty timesheet space:
- Automatically creates time entry
- Duration from activity tracking
- Description from activity context
- Smart matter/project suggestion
Add to Existing Entry
Drag activity onto existing entry:
- Adds time to that entry
- Combines related activities
- Aggregates time automatically
- Preserves billing coding
Multi-Select
Select multiple activities:
- Drag all at once
- Batch timesheet creation
- Efficient processing
- Handles entire day quickly
Impact on Workflow
Time Savings
Before:
- 5-10 clicks per entry
- 10-20 seconds per entry
- 10 entries = 2-3 minutes
After:
- Single drag per entry/batch
- 2-3 seconds per entry
- 10 entries = 30 seconds
Savings: 75-80% time reduction
Cognitive Load
- No form filling
- No navigation
- Visual, intuitive
- Less mental effort
- More likely to track everything
Accuracy
- Duration auto-filled from tracking
- Context preserved
- Less manual entry = fewer errors
- Complete activity coverage
Target Users
Legal Professionals
- Lawyers: Billable hour requirements
- Paralegals: Time tracking for billing
- Legal support: Administrative time tracking
Other Professional Services
- Accountants: Client billing
- Consultants: Project time tracking
- Any hourly billing profession
Integration with Laurel's Core Features
Automatic Activity Capture
Drag-and-drop depends on:
- Passive tracking of all work
- Integration with common tools
- Accurate duration measurement
- Contextual information capture
Timesheet Generation
Once entries created:
- Review for accuracy
- Adjust if needed
- Submit for approval
- Generate invoices
Compliance
Maintains audit requirements:
- Contemporaneous records
- Activity evidence
- Approval workflows
- Change history
Complementary January 2026 Features
Laurel released multiple innovations:
Work Activity Insights Tab (February)
- Breakdown of time categories
- Meeting vs. document vs. email vs. research
- Pattern visibility
- Optimization opportunities
Together
- Drag-and-drop (January) for efficient entry
- Insights tab (February) for understanding patterns
- Comprehensive time management solution
Competitive Context
Legal Time Tracking Landscape
Traditional:
- Clio, MyCase, PracticePanther
- Manual time entry
- Timer-based tracking
- More steps required
Laurel's Advantage:
- Automatic activity capture
- AI-powered suggestions
- Drag-and-drop efficiency
- Modern UX
Innovation in Professional Services
Laurel represents new generation:
- Reduce administrative burden
- Increase billable hour capture
- Improve accuracy
- Better user experience = better compliance
User Adoption
Learning Curve
- Intuitive drag-and-drop
- Familiar interaction pattern
- Minimal training needed
- Quick adoption
Behavior Change
Encourages:
- Daily timesheet updates
- Complete time capture
- Less end-of-month scrambling
- More accurate billing
Reported Results
Laurel claims:
- +28 daily billable minutes recovered per professional
- Drag-and-drop contributes to this improvement
- Faster entry = more likely to track everything
- Recovered time = increased revenue
Technical Implementation
UI Pattern
- Native drag-and-drop interface
- Responsive feedback
- Clear drop zones
- Undo functionality
Data Flow
- Activity captured automatically
- Stored in Laurel's database
- Displayed in All tab
- User drags to timesheet
- Entry created with metadata
- Synced to firm's billing system
Future Enhancements
Potential additions:
- Smart batching suggestions
- Automatic matter detection
- Predictive time categorization
- Bulk editing after drag
Why This Matters
Professional Services Economics
- Billable hours = revenue
- Lost time = lost revenue
- Faster entry = more capture
- Better UX = better compliance
Industry Trend
Shift from:
- Manual, timer-based tracking
- Post-hoc timesheet reconstruction
- Memory-based billing
To:
- Automatic activity capture
- Real-time categorization
- Evidence-based billing
- Effortless compliance
Laurel's drag-and-drop timesheet entry represents the evolution of professional services time tracking from administrative burden to seamless workflow integration.
