Big Law Discussions
Billable Hours

1) Hourly rates, 2) billable requirements, 3) typical bonus (origination bonus and/or discretionary) for 3-4 year associates in small and mid sized firms in California. Go!

Would you accept capping billable hours at 40/week in exchange for being able to work while completely remote?

How many non-billable hours do you bill per year? Do they count towards your goal and bonus?

Anyone have any experience with Genpact? What’s the average TC and base for an experienced SC? 9 YOE with 3 YOE in consulting. What’s the interview process? What are the bench/billable requirements?

Billable hours- anyone know of or work at a big law firm where 1800 hours is acceptable?

Leaving healthcare in-house to open mostly remote hlthcare legal/compliance or business consulting after 25 yrs practice. Any thoughts on billable rate? East coast but looking for national clients.

What are firm’s known billable requirements? Is there a ramp up period?

To the KPMG user who keeps posting about billable rate and salary:

This is a bad idea because other firms will use that information to undercut KPMG.

CONTD

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you worry about getting laid off/rif’d because of a downturn in your firms billable work activity? Used to never worry but now I’ve been thinking more about it.

Have you questioned your divorce attorney’s billable hours calculation? For example, if I clearly fired an associate from my case and she still comes to the meeting on top of the main person, why am

Opinions and any information regarding billable hours and quality of work life at Stockwell, Harris, Woolverton & Helphrey...anything info appreciated!

I would like to renegotiate my salary. I have been at this firm for 6 months. The pay is low for the billable hours req. Our hours are based on the hours after partner cuts them. More in comments.

How do you navigate the conversation of a client hinting at doing work over the weekend but you know it’s billable work you should be adding to your time?

What is your annual billable goal at your firm?

A related question - associates, what year are you and what’s your billable rate?

77 hours from the next super bonus tier. I have about 25 pro bono hours that I could do, and I have about 12 billable hours that I will do. No real Christmas plans. Worth scrounging up those last 40?

What is your min. billable hours a day your firm considers a full work day?

How do you get billable work? Are you constantly knocking on doors & hunting it down? Or are assignments generally given to you? Do you ever have periods of being unable to find any?

Litigation tends to be slow around the holidays, but we all have end of year billables to meet. What kind of stuff do you work on for billable hrs while courts and clients are closed?

Billable hours vs hours of exercise this year? (Mine is 2000 vs 120, give or take)

How often does your billable time get written off? Does it affect your hours vis-a-vis meeting yearly requirements and bonus? Tips for minimizing write offs and partners who ask you not to bill time?

What are your firm’s yearly billable requirements?

Anyone else calculating billable hours needed for the rest of the month to hit utilization? 😅😭

My dog is very sick again and it’s hard not to worry that it might be his time. Waiting to hear from Vet. Have a hard push to finish billable hours. It’s been just me and him for the past 12 years.

**BILLABLE HOURS**
First year, AmLaw200 firm, can’t seem to get a straight answer. When do you stop the clock? Bathroom breaks? Small conversations? Or do you just let it run?

Salary survey:

Base:
Years:
Number of attorneys:
Yearly billable requirements:
Bonus:

Is it normal for contract attorneys to have the same billable requirements but half the compensation, or does the lower salary come with lower reqs?

What do you all do when you don’t have billable work and are killing time at your desk? Do you try to do things you can bill under “non-billable time” such as read legal articles? Or just bill nothing

How does your firm measure utilization? I work for a small boutique that defines it as utilization = number of billable hours/2,080 and full bonus payout occurs at 80% plus.

I commute 1.5 hours to work and 1.5 hours back. Up at 6, home ~8. Don’t even like the field and billable hours..more of a small transactional firm person. Took a job out of desperation. What do I do?

3 yr assoc. just moved to mid firm. Brought files with me which have collected my salary to date - 4 months. Does not even include other work yet firm is questioning me re billable hours. Reasonable?

What is the expectation at your firms about coming into work after making your billable hours requirement? Asking especially for those who do not get a bonus per extra hour billed over the minimum.

Any tips for meeting billable targets?

Can someone explain utilization and realization to me? I just wrapped up my first week on an engagement (9/30 client) and am a first year at a national firm. I understand billable hours and the budget

Anyone have mandatory PTO during the holidays? Our leadership is making us use PTO days if we don't have billable work between Xmas & NYE. I don't even celebrate Xmas, kind of annoyed

Any firms in the San Diego area where you don't have to track every minute of your day? I'm so sick of entering my time and billable hours. I've heard some firms are moving to value billing models.

Any firms in the San Diego area where you don't have to track every minute of your day? I'm so sick of entering my time and billable hours. I've heard some firms are moving to value billing models.

Doc review, billable requirements -- that's the sh** I don't like