![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Microsoft-Copilot-Email-Management.jpg?resize=770%2C495&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
Table of contents<\/h2>\n\n- Using 365 Chat or Copilot to Find the Signal in the Noise<\/a><\/li>\n
- What About Quantity?<\/a><\/li>\n
- What About When?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Prefer a Table?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Teams Chats Too?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Want This to Run Automatically?<\/a><\/li>\n
- Start Using Your AI Assistant to Cut Through The Noise<\/a>\n
\n- About Affinity Consulting Group<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- More Tech Tips From Affinity<\/a><\/li>\n
- Office 365 Training Manuals for Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
For as long as there has been email, attorneys have struggled with how to manage the deluge. Copilot, Microsoft\u2019s AI assistant, is the latest tool that can help you get through it. Let\u2019s take a look at how you can use Copilot to make your inbox more manageable.<\/p>\n
Using 365 Chat or Copilot to Find the Signal in the Noise<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s have Copilot identify the emails in your inbox that are most in need of your attention.<\/p>\n
You can do this either in the Outlook app or in the Microsoft 365 Chat app. I tend to prefer the Microsoft 365 Chat app because Copilot in Outlook opens in a narrow pane on the side of the screen, whereas the Microsoft 365 Chat app is much wider and easier to read.<\/p>\n
We could give it a prompt as simple as \u201cTriage my Outlook inbox<\/em>\u201d and while that would work, the output might not be exactly what we want (and this article would be too short). So, let\u2019s go a little deeper.<\/p>\nFirst off, let\u2019s tell Copilot what kind of output you want<\/strong>:<\/p>\nTriage my Outlook inbox and provide a grouped summary of the key emails that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/p>\nHere we\u2019re giving Copilot a bit more context on what our expectations are. We want a grouped summary, and we\u2019re reinforcing that we want Copilot to focus on those messages that deserve our attention first.<\/p>\n
The next problem we need to address before we\u2019re ready to send that prompt is that we haven\u2019t given Copilot any context on what makes an email important to us. If we just sent the prompt as is, it would return a grouped summary, but our idea of what is an important message might not be the same as Copilot\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s tell it a bit more. Add this to the prompt above.<\/p>\n
Give more priority to conversations with unanswered questions or action items for me. Give less priority to messages where I\u2019m not on the TO line. Note any upcoming deadlines. Group the summary by priority level: High, Medium, Low.<\/em><\/p>\nNow we\u2019ve told it that unanswered questions and action items are of particular interest. And you\u2019ve reminded Copilot that if the message wasn\u2019t addressed directly to you, there aren\u2019t likely to be important action items in it for you.<\/p>\n
What About Quantity?<\/h2>\n
In this prompt, we haven\u2019t constrained Copilot on how many messages it should return. It could identify anywhere from one to a couple of dozen. If you want a finite number, you can specify that in the prompt.<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and provide a grouped summary of the 10<\/strong> key emails that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\nGive more priority to conversations with unanswered questions or action items for me. Give less priority to messages where I\u2019m not on the To line.
Note any upcoming deadlines.
Group the summary by priority level: High, Medium, Low.<\/em><\/p>\nIn this example, we\u2019ve asked for 10. You can ask for more or less, but if you ask for 50 and there are only 27, Copilot may have a hard time delivering what you expected.<\/p>\n
What About When?<\/h2>\n
You can also have Copilot focus only on emails received in a certain time period. Keep in mind that Generative AI sometimes has difficulty with relative dates (\u201cLast week,\u201d \u201cThis month\u201d). So, if you\u2019re going to filter by date, I\u2019d recommend you be specific<\/strong>, such as:<\/p>\n\u2026 from October 1st to October 15th \u2026<\/em><\/p>\nOr:<\/p>\n
\u2026 since November 1st.<\/p>\n
Prefer a Table?<\/h2>\n
You could have Copilot return the results as a table instead of a grouped summary. Just start your prompt like this:<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and provide a table of the key emails that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/p>\nTeams Chats Too?<\/h2>\n
When I show this prompt, I occasionally have people ask if Copilot can triage Teams too and the answer is \u201cYes!\u201d Here\u2019s a variant on the prompt that would include any Teams chats Copilot thinks need your attention:<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and Teams chats<\/strong> and provide a grouped summary of the key messages<\/strong> that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/p>\nGive more priority to conversations with unanswered questions or action items for me. Give less priority to messages where I\u2019m not on the TO line. Note any upcoming deadlines. Group the summary by priority level: High, Medium, Low.<\/em><\/p>\nWant This to Run Automatically?<\/h2>\n
Copilot makes it possible to schedule a prompt to run automatically on the schedule you prefer. After you run your prompt, hover your cursor over it and a small floating menu should appear above it and toward the right.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image.png?resize=443%2C217&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nSelect the button that looks like a clock and the Schedule a prompt<\/strong> dialog box will appear.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image-1.png?resize=427%2C306&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHere you can see the text of the prompt and select which days and at what time you want the prompt to run. You\u2019re currently limited to having it run a maximum of 15 times automatically, after which you\u2019d need to schedule another batch if you want it to keep going.<\/p>\n
Lastly, you can have Copilot send you an email when the response is ready. That\u2019s handy because by default, the results will appear in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and it\u2019s easy to forget to check for them. The email is a convenient reminder that something is waiting for you.<\/p>\n
Start Using Your AI Assistant to Cut Through The Noise<\/h2>\n
This triage prompt is the sort of thing I might schedule to run every Monday morning, to start my week off right by identifying the items I need to dig into. Or I might run it on Friday afternoon, to identify any loose ends I need to tie up before heading home for the weekend. Whatever works better for you.<\/p>\n
Copilot can\u2019t solve all your email problems, but it can definitely help you cut through the noise and find the items you really need to get into.<\/p>\n
\nAbout Affinity Consulting Group<\/h3>\n
Affinity Consulting Group inspires, enables and empowers legal teams of all sizes to work smarter, from anywhere. The company\u2019s holistic approach incorporates people, process and technology. Affinity\u2019s passionate, well-connected industry experts work hand in hand with you to help you better understand and optimize your business \u2014 from software to growth strategy, and everything in between.<\/p>\n
\nMore Tech Tips From Affinity<\/h2>\n\n- Microsoft Copilot 2025: It\u2019s Better 1 Year Later<\/a><\/li>\n
- Legal AI Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction in Your Law Firm<\/a><\/li>\n
- Law Firm Tech Cleanup: 6 Steps to Boost Efficiency\u00a0and Cut Costs\u00a0Now<\/a><\/li>\n
- 15 Secure Collaboration Hacks Every Lawyer Should Know<\/a><\/li>\n
- 25 Quick Tech Tips to Try in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n
- 6 Ways Microsoft Word Speech-to-Text AI Can Help You Write Faster and Better<\/a><\/li>\n
- PDF Bookmarks: The Secret to Quickly Creating User-Friendly Documents<\/a><\/li>\n
- Never Forget to Follow Up: Using Outlook Email Reminders<\/a><\/li>\n
- Templates to Create Model Documents That Save Your Law Firm Tons of Time<\/a><\/li>\n
- Paperless Law Practice: How to Boost Efficiency, Cut Costs and Improve Client Satisfaction<\/a><\/li>\n
- Take Your Practice to the Next Level With Document Automation Tools<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Master Page Numbers in MS Word<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.attorneyatwork.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Affinity-Microsoft-Word-2023.jpg?resize=600%2C600&ssl=1\" "\\"\\"")
<\/a><\/figure>\n\nMicrosoft Word for Legal Professionals<\/strong><\/h3>\nWant to work faster? For in-depth information and instructions on getting the most from Word, order\u00a0Affinity Consulting Group<\/a>\u2019s hands-on digital manual\u00a0\u201cMicrosoft Word for Legal Professionals.<\/a><\/strong>\u201d<\/a> Individual and site licenses are available for download in the Attorney at Work bookstore.<\/p>\n
- \n
- About Affinity Consulting Group<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
- More Tech Tips From Affinity<\/a><\/li>\n
- Office 365 Training Manuals for Lawyers<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
For as long as there has been email, attorneys have struggled with how to manage the deluge. Copilot, Microsoft\u2019s AI assistant, is the latest tool that can help you get through it. Let\u2019s take a look at how you can use Copilot to make your inbox more manageable.<\/p>\n
Using 365 Chat or Copilot to Find the Signal in the Noise<\/h2>\n
Let\u2019s have Copilot identify the emails in your inbox that are most in need of your attention.<\/p>\n
You can do this either in the Outlook app or in the Microsoft 365 Chat app. I tend to prefer the Microsoft 365 Chat app because Copilot in Outlook opens in a narrow pane on the side of the screen, whereas the Microsoft 365 Chat app is much wider and easier to read.<\/p>\n
We could give it a prompt as simple as \u201cTriage my Outlook inbox<\/em>\u201d and while that would work, the output might not be exactly what we want (and this article would be too short). So, let\u2019s go a little deeper.<\/p>\n
First off, let\u2019s tell Copilot what kind of output you want<\/strong>:<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and provide a grouped summary of the key emails that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/p>\n
Here we\u2019re giving Copilot a bit more context on what our expectations are. We want a grouped summary, and we\u2019re reinforcing that we want Copilot to focus on those messages that deserve our attention first.<\/p>\n
The next problem we need to address before we\u2019re ready to send that prompt is that we haven\u2019t given Copilot any context on what makes an email important to us. If we just sent the prompt as is, it would return a grouped summary, but our idea of what is an important message might not be the same as Copilot\u2019s.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s tell it a bit more. Add this to the prompt above.<\/p>\n
Give more priority to conversations with unanswered questions or action items for me. Give less priority to messages where I\u2019m not on the TO line. Note any upcoming deadlines. Group the summary by priority level: High, Medium, Low.<\/em><\/p>\n
Now we\u2019ve told it that unanswered questions and action items are of particular interest. And you\u2019ve reminded Copilot that if the message wasn\u2019t addressed directly to you, there aren\u2019t likely to be important action items in it for you.<\/p>\n
What About Quantity?<\/h2>\n
In this prompt, we haven\u2019t constrained Copilot on how many messages it should return. It could identify anywhere from one to a couple of dozen. If you want a finite number, you can specify that in the prompt.<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and provide a grouped summary of the 10<\/strong> key emails that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n
Give more priority to conversations with unanswered questions or action items for me. Give less priority to messages where I\u2019m not on the To line.
Note any upcoming deadlines.
Group the summary by priority level: High, Medium, Low.<\/em><\/p>\nIn this example, we\u2019ve asked for 10. You can ask for more or less, but if you ask for 50 and there are only 27, Copilot may have a hard time delivering what you expected.<\/p>\n
What About When?<\/h2>\n
You can also have Copilot focus only on emails received in a certain time period. Keep in mind that Generative AI sometimes has difficulty with relative dates (\u201cLast week,\u201d \u201cThis month\u201d). So, if you\u2019re going to filter by date, I\u2019d recommend you be specific<\/strong>, such as:<\/p>\n
\u2026 from October 1st to October 15th \u2026<\/em><\/p>\n
Or:<\/p>\n
\u2026 since November 1st.<\/p>\n
Prefer a Table?<\/h2>\n
You could have Copilot return the results as a table instead of a grouped summary. Just start your prompt like this:<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and provide a table of the key emails that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/p>\n
Teams Chats Too?<\/h2>\n
When I show this prompt, I occasionally have people ask if Copilot can triage Teams too and the answer is \u201cYes!\u201d Here\u2019s a variant on the prompt that would include any Teams chats Copilot thinks need your attention:<\/p>\n
Triage my Outlook inbox and Teams chats<\/strong> and provide a grouped summary of the key messages<\/strong> that deserve my attention first.<\/em><\/p>\n
Give more priority to conversations with unanswered questions or action items for me. Give less priority to messages where I\u2019m not on the TO line. Note any upcoming deadlines. Group the summary by priority level: High, Medium, Low.<\/em><\/p>\n
Want This to Run Automatically?<\/h2>\n
Copilot makes it possible to schedule a prompt to run automatically on the schedule you prefer. After you run your prompt, hover your cursor over it and a small floating menu should appear above it and toward the right.<\/p>\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Select the button that looks like a clock and the Schedule a prompt<\/strong> dialog box will appear.<\/p>\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Here you can see the text of the prompt and select which days and at what time you want the prompt to run. You\u2019re currently limited to having it run a maximum of 15 times automatically, after which you\u2019d need to schedule another batch if you want it to keep going.<\/p>\n
Lastly, you can have Copilot send you an email when the response is ready. That\u2019s handy because by default, the results will appear in Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat and it\u2019s easy to forget to check for them. The email is a convenient reminder that something is waiting for you.<\/p>\n
Start Using Your AI Assistant to Cut Through The Noise<\/h2>\n
This triage prompt is the sort of thing I might schedule to run every Monday morning, to start my week off right by identifying the items I need to dig into. Or I might run it on Friday afternoon, to identify any loose ends I need to tie up before heading home for the weekend. Whatever works better for you.<\/p>\n
Copilot can\u2019t solve all your email problems, but it can definitely help you cut through the noise and find the items you really need to get into.<\/p>\n
\nAbout Affinity Consulting Group<\/h3>\n
Affinity Consulting Group inspires, enables and empowers legal teams of all sizes to work smarter, from anywhere. The company\u2019s holistic approach incorporates people, process and technology. Affinity\u2019s passionate, well-connected industry experts work hand in hand with you to help you better understand and optimize your business \u2014 from software to growth strategy, and everything in between.<\/p>\n
\nMore Tech Tips From Affinity<\/h2>\n
- \n
- Microsoft Copilot 2025: It\u2019s Better 1 Year Later<\/a><\/li>\n
- Legal AI Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction in Your Law Firm<\/a><\/li>\n
- Law Firm Tech Cleanup: 6 Steps to Boost Efficiency\u00a0and Cut Costs\u00a0Now<\/a><\/li>\n
- 15 Secure Collaboration Hacks Every Lawyer Should Know<\/a><\/li>\n
- 25 Quick Tech Tips to Try in 2025<\/a><\/li>\n
- 6 Ways Microsoft Word Speech-to-Text AI Can Help You Write Faster and Better<\/a><\/li>\n
- PDF Bookmarks: The Secret to Quickly Creating User-Friendly Documents<\/a><\/li>\n
- Never Forget to Follow Up: Using Outlook Email Reminders<\/a><\/li>\n
- Templates to Create Model Documents That Save Your Law Firm Tons of Time<\/a><\/li>\n
- Paperless Law Practice: How to Boost Efficiency, Cut Costs and Improve Client Satisfaction<\/a><\/li>\n
- Take Your Practice to the Next Level With Document Automation Tools<\/a><\/li>\n
- How to Master Page Numbers in MS Word<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\n<\/a><\/figure>\n\nMicrosoft Word for Legal Professionals<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Want to work faster? For in-depth information and instructions on getting the most from Word, order\u00a0Affinity Consulting Group<\/a>\u2019s hands-on digital manual\u00a0\u201cMicrosoft Word for Legal Professionals.<\/a><\/strong>\u201d<\/a> Individual and site licenses are available for download in the Attorney at Work bookstore.<\/p>\n
- Legal AI Myths: Separating Fact from Fiction in Your Law Firm<\/a><\/li>\n
- More Tech Tips From Affinity<\/a><\/li>\n