Laurel Drag-and-Drop Timesheet Entry (January 2026)

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:

1. View list of activities
2. Click to create new time entry
3. Navigate to form
4. Enter time amount
5. Select project/matter
6. Add description
7. Save entry
8. Repeat for each activity

Result: Multi-click, time-consuming process

With Drag-and-Drop

1. Select one or more activities
2. Drag onto timesheet
3. 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

1. Activity captured automatically
2. Stored in Laurel's database
3. Displayed in All tab
4. User drags to timesheet
5. Entry created with metadata
6. 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.