Big Law Discussions
Billable Hours

What do you guys think are “typical” yearly billable hours for an M&A mid level? How happy would you be if you only billed 1900 hours? Or is that not as good as I’m thinking?

Is it strange that anyone at my firm (associates/partners) can look up where any lawyer is on billable time for the month? I’m a third year lateral, and my old firm didn’t do that. Is that normal? Feels invasive

What's the billable hours requirement at Greenberg Traurig?

I just got offered a job with a firm that has billable hour requirements. I’ve never had had billable hours. Is is appropriate to ask what the billable requirements are? I have a good idea from someone I know who works in a different department but want to confirm what they told me. They also provided vacation time of 3-5 weeks. I’m assuming that’s work weeks, but is that appropriate to ask for clarification? I don’t want them to think that’s all I care about, but these are important to me.

Anyone in Private Client Services/T&E that can speak to how billable requirements are approached in BL for that practice area? Often hear billables are harder to come by than in, say, M&A or Lit. Is there a greater understanding for failure to hit hours in this area? Potentially making the move from boutique firm where minimum has been 1700 (but 165 hour months are common). Offers have been from Am Law 50-100s requiring 1900 and 1950. Don’t wanna accept just to get recession fired. Thanks.

Is 150 billable hours per month little/average/a lot?

Normal situation? I am a second year associate that lateraled to a hyper-specialized practice group a year ago. Since joining, I have only worked with one partner. The issue is my workload. Usually at least once a day I am stuck with no billable work, most often because I have just submitted something to the partner and she is reviewing. I am not on track to hit our hours target. The partner has not given any real negative feedback, just have anxieties about workload. Any advice?

Just started at a firm. What are your top tips for maximizing billable time?

Consultants at companies that use Teams- are any of you being provided a Teams User Activity Report on a regular basis? Curious if it’s helpful at all in tracking billable hours.

How many years of FDD experience does A&M typically require? I’ve heard great things about their comp and seems like there’s so much more up side than b4 since bonuses are a % of billable hours. Anyone know what a typical A&M senior bonus was this year?

Question for Junior Associates, particularly from smaller firms (2-10 lawyers), Outer Suburbia office-Initial Compensation for a 2nd year associate in Family Law/ID - $80,000 salary, retirement benefit of 10% gross income paid by Firm, 75% of health (dental & vision too) insurance premium covered, bar dues, CLEs and Malpractice Insurance covered. Additional bonuses discretionary, 1250 billable hours expected - Fair or not? If not (again a firm 2-10 lawyers), why not? (DC/Baltimore Suburbs)

Can a hiring firm verify your prior billable hours?

0 billable hours this week. I’m a recent corporate lateral (2 months) and have reached out to the work coordinator and other partners/counsel but still nothing - should I be concerned?

Anyone have any insight on Rumberger Kirk's Tampa, FL Office? Specifically the office culture, the billable requirements, and the mentorship?

I'm a little confused about billable hours "requirements." Are they actual requirements like if you don't meet your 1,800/2,000/2,200 or whatever requirement you're at risk for termination or is it just to be bonus eligible?

Anyone know or have speculations as to the hourly billable rate for Media Law partners at Davis Wright Tremaine?

This might sound like a crazy question but never having worked in public before: Billable hours - if you’re very efficient at your job, do you stretch out the time and work slower to get to your billable hours or do you safe the client the money. In a Situation where you don’t have other projects to work on. Tell me the ins and outs of working billable hours for a complete newbie.

For a tax manager how many billable hours should I have at this point of the year. Currently hovering around ~800 chargeable. Is that good, bad, or in line?

I’ve spent over 80 billable hours in the last two weeks creating recons and guessing /checking combinations of accounts that will reconcile to adjustments/audited fs cuz we can’t schedule meetings to ask questions. I love this job

I am a new associate (1 month in mid-tier firm) and I struggle to get work to fill up the whole day. In honest time, i get about 3-5 billable hours a day. Am I going to get in trouble or fired over this?? I am putting my best efforts when I do get work and I ask for work sometimes. At this point I feel like I am being annoying too…

Average weekly hours at EYP? How’s the split between client billable hours VS firm initiatives, recruitment, etc.? TIA

Looking for inspirations/examples of time entry descriptions to bill for reading an email. Would appreciate any other examples of billable time entry descriptions that aren’t so obvious too.

My firm announced their making everyone come back to the office 3 times a week. I’m low key pissed about it. I make my billable hours. We already don’t get any vacation or sick time. The least they could do is let us bill our hours wherever we want. Work from home has made a work-life balance in this field somewhat attainable and now they want to take it away.

I’ve practiced litigation in DC for about 5+ years at a larger plaintiffs’ firm, and am considering a switch to a defense firm. Is there any insight to how many billable hours this would require, and how much time that would actually be? For reference, the firm has a 1900 billable hour requirement and the partner said I would have “no problem” fulfilling that based on the work they have.

I have always filled the Timesheet under "Unassigned task" with Non billable hours as 9hrs. But from today it is showing that Non Job Activity should be less than 4 hrs. Hence i am unable to fill timesheet. Please help me what to do?

How do firms give bonuses to associate attorneys? Quarterly, monthly, annually?

What is the bonus based on? Money received, billable hours, etc?

What percentage of fees do associates receive when they originate a case?

How do you define, "case originated by associate?"

I'm looking to set up a bonus structure for a new associate.

How do firms give bonuses to associate attorneys? Quarterly, monthly, annually? What is a bonus based on? Money recieved, billable hours, etc?

I'm looking to set up a bonus structure for a new associate.

First trimester pregnant and not feeling great- I’m a junior who just lateraled. I get to the office later/start working later, find myself naturally slower, generally uninterested, and demotivated. I’m so exhausted- I feel like my head will explode by only 4 pm. Does anyone have a similar experience? What were your typical billable days during this time? Did anyone make comments about you not pulling your weight? Any other insights? Thanks!

Quick billing question for you all: do you receive credit towards your annual billable requirement gross or net of partner and client write-downs? At my firm, we only get credit for billable hours that survive both the partner and the client. Just wondering if that’s standard or unusual?

How do I handle another associate taking all of my billable work? I am relatively new to the firm, so I have very few cases of my own at the moment. I struggle to get hours. The other associate has many more cases of their own. However, every time we get new documents, assignments, etc on my few cases, the other associate rushes and bills for it. At the end of the month, I have so few hours that I feel useless to the firm.

I have practiced law for several years and still struggle with the feast-or-famine nature of my practice. (Sudden rush of client outreach, many emergencies, then … nothing). A famine week might be 3-4 billable hours/day. My practice area does not have a predictable annual cycle, like “year end” or “tax day.” Any tips from other attorneys for how to recognize, predict, and/or even out these periods?

Do any firms give you “billable time” equivalent for taking vacation or time off? I think it’s kinda scammy that firms offer “unlimited pto” but still expect you to meet your hours without giving any hours equivalent for that PTO time you took. In reality, you’re not really taking PAID time off because you’ll have to make up those hours at some point in the year anyway.

Are there any non-entertainment firms that don’t require tracking billable hours?