You can create clear, compliant narratives for your time entries using Laurel's AI-powered writing tools and reusable templates. This article explains how to use Laurel's tools to quickly write professional narratives that meet your firm's compliance standards while saving time on repetitive text.
Please note that some firms use the term "descriptions" on their time entries instead of "narratives." The term "narrative" is used throughout this article, but "narrative" and "description" are the same thing in the Laurel interface.
What you'll need:
Access to the Laurel web app.
An existing time entry or the ability to create a new one.
Creating and editing narratives
Step 1: Open a time entry for editing
Create a new entry using any method in Laurel, or click on an unreleased entry you want to edit. The Edit Entry modal will open where you can work on your narrative.
Step 2: Click into the narrative field
Click into the text field labeled "Narrative" (this field may also be called "Description").
If you created your time entry from activities in your Work Activity panel, you'll see a suggested narrative generated by Laurel's AI model. This suggestion is based on the Work Activities you selected for the entry, and is written in the style and tone of narratives you've released from Laurel in the past.
If you created your entry manually, the field will start blank.
Step 3: Edit your narrative text
Edit your narrative until you're satisfied with the description. As you type, the Laurel Writer will provide predictive suggestions based on phrases and patterns from your previously released narratives. Press "Tab" or click on the suggested text to insert it into your narrative.
The gray compliance bar above the "Narrative" field will automatically update to show whether your narrative meets your firm's compliance standards at the firm, matter, and client levels.
Step 4: Further improve your narrative with AI (optional)
Use the Laurel Writer to enhance your narrative's clarity and completeness. Look for the purple box beneath the narrative field and click "Improve with AI."
The Laurel Writer will suggest content based on your previously released narratives and your firm's compliance standards. Once a suggestion appears, you have three options:
Click the "X" button to dismiss the suggestion.
Click the "Refresh" button to generate a new suggestion. This button looks like a circular arrow.
Click "Replace" to accept the suggested text.
Step 5: Save your entry
When you're satisfied with your narrative and finished editing, click the green "Save" button at the top of the Edit Entry modal to save your time entry.
Creating and using narrative templates
Narrative templates are reusable phrases or sentences you can set up with keyboard shortcuts for faster narrative creation.
Step 1: Access your Laurel settings
Click your initials in the bottom-left corner of the Laurel app to open the settings menu. Select "Your Account."
Step 2: Navigate to the narratives section
Click the "Narratives" tab at the top of the settings page.
Step 3: Create a new template
Click "Add New" to create a template.
Step 4: Fill in the template details
Provide the following information for your template:
Name: Enter a descriptive name for how you'll use this template.
Shortcut: Type the numbers, letters, or symbols you want to use to access this template.
Narrative: Add the word, phrase, or sentence you want to save as a template.
Step 5: Save your template
Click the "Save" button beneath the narrative text field, then click the "Save" button in the upper right corner of the Settings page. Always verify your template is saved before leaving the "Narratives" tab.
Step 6: Use your template in a time entry
Open or create a time entry and click into the "Narrative" field. Press the forward slash (/) key to activate shortcuts. A menu will display your available templates. Type your shortcut until the menu filters to your selection, then press "Enter" to insert the template.
If you're having trouble:
If the template isn't appearing with keyboard shortcut: Navigate to your "Narratives" in "Your Account" and verify the template is saved properly. You must click "Save" within the "Narratives" tab and the "Save" button at the top of the "Settings" page. Also check that your shortcut doesn't conflict with another template's shortcut.
If the keyboard shortcut isn't working: Make sure you press the forward slash (/) key first to activate shortcuts before typing your shortcut sequence.
If compliance alerts appear: A compliance alert means that Laurel found a conflict between your narrative and your firm's compliance standards. Hover over the red exclamation mark in the gray bar above the Narrative field to see specific guidance on how to adjust your narrative. Laurel will automatically recheck compliance as you edit.
What happens next
Your narrative will be included in your time entry and checked against your organization's compliance requirements when you release the entry. When you release entries with complete narratives, Laurel uses them to train its AI model on your writing style, which improves Laurel's ability to generate narratives for you over time.