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200/month is absolutely good WLB if you’re able to take a couple of weeks off per year.
Mentor
A9 is right. 2300 being top 10-15% means you are def not at a sweatshop. That’s still bottom 50% at some firms.
It does seem a little aggressive to tell an associate "you need to cut back to 200 hours per month." I'm not sure what you worked, but if I saw an associate billing 250 or more for multiple months sustainably, I would also probably check in to make sure they don't burn out. Some people are built like that and good for them, but most people can't sustain that, so that advice of "cut back to 200/month" may make sense in that context.
What I tell new associates is that generally, you will work harder, not smarter in the first part of your career, so putting in 200 months is a necessity to cut your teeth and get reps. In the later part, you work smarter, not harder, since you have the experience and knowledge to do things more efficiently. I would say that you should probably have at least 3-4 years of ~2400 hour billables, but that should also taper off. If you can sustain that, great. I did 4 of those, and use to wear as badge of honor (still sorta do), but I very much got over the counting hours thing now that I have my place/niche at the firm, and draw boundaries such that I'm 2000 or just under that.
Anywhere other than the big sweatshops? To this day i don’t know why people choose to go somewhere like Kirkland when you can get paid the same working for a “lower” tier firm billing 1900 hours a year. I get if you haven’t had another option or gunning for equity partner, but being proud of making partners more money and getting paid the same? I’ll never get it.
When I bill five mins (or any finite time) on a matter, I bill 0.1 or 0.25 or whatever the smallest increment is. I don’t use timers. It does add up if you’re a specialist. Otherwise you aren’t on as may deal or matters for it to make a difference.
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There’s a big difference between “not overworking” yourself and “the WLB workload.” 200 is a pretty reasonable level to tell associates to not pass too much to not be overworked. Are you sure the partner was suggesting that’s “WLB” level?
200 month over month is not sustainable. The people who tell you otherwise probably have limited responsibilities and/or help at home.
200 hours a month is sustainable busy. Things get bad when you get above like 210
We make good money to bill and work. Not for everybody.
Yeah, I’m on pace for 2500 so far this fiscal year (started Nov 1) even accounting for the fact I took a vacation. I only billed 2130 last year and this is so much worse. I’m feeling close to burning out.