How many billable hours has everyone been putting in lately?

I recently moved from litigation to transactional and am struggling to reach billable targets. In litigation it was no problem hitting 1800+ hours but don’t see how I’m going to come anywhere close to that in a transactional role.

I’m mostly sitting around all day waiting for work that doesn’t take long to complete (though at my desk for 10-12 hours/day). Is this normal? Suggestions on how to keep busy other than asking for work and having good work product?

Looking to leave a govt job for a junior attorney role in a small workers comp defense firm. I have no experience in workers comp. How easy is it to learn the work and make 1850 billable hours? What future opportunities does this experience give?

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.

Did the billable hours bonus not get paid out today? Or is it to be paid in the next check?

How many billable hours do people in prosecution tend to average each month? I’ve gone through waves of feeling like my billable hours requirement is reasonable to feeling like I’m drowning and can’t possibly do it for that long.

Anyone else here have terrible utilization because their deals die and a code never opens? /can’t find another code to book hours? I’m sitting on over 200 billable hours at this point

I currently work at a medium sized firm and have about two years experience in personal injury litigation. The billable hours and lack of work life balance are really getting to me and I am looking to switch to something else out of litigation, preferably in house. I am also looking to relocate to a different state. How do I go about properly marketing myself to companies that might not take my relocation and minimal experience seriously?

BONUS. What’s amount bonus do you get, and how often? Including bonus structure (ex for meeting billable hours), firm/boss randomly bonuses you, Christmas bonus, etc)

Received a job offer. Was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on a concern I had about it. It's an entry level position, and I don't have much experience. The billables are 2040 a year. For billable hours in civil litigation and insurance defense, is 2040 hours for a 1st year associate on the high end in this field for a small or midsize firm? It seems like most attorneys I know have minimum requirements of around 1800. The compensation is around 80k a year.

When your boss gives you 48 hours (clock hours not billable hours) to produce a viable objection to a MTD/compel arbitration in a complex commercial lit case, which is not my practice area, what kind of result is he expecting? From scratch, no template.

Can you get fired for having low utilization as a senior? My billable hours this busy season have been much lower than my peers.

Weber folks! At what point do you become eligible for a yearly bonus and how is your bonus determined? Any tie to billable hours?

Is it just me or the average billable work in infrastructure transactions has blown off steam in the last couple of weeks?

To the post below- it is quiet, so I’ll bite!
Does anyone know about associate compensation at the regional Atlantic Canada firms? The the big ones have all been posting job ads for associates in the 3-5 year range. Any insight on salary and billable targets?

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.

What’s your current billable rate and salary?

Is there an appropriate way to turn down an assignment because it is non-billable? Two of the partners I work for keep asking me to write client bulletins and articles with them, which is great, but now I’m starting to worry about meeting my billable hours requirement.

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.

Has anyone here worked (or does anyone currently work) for Bernstein Litowitz (aka BLBG)? Very interested to learn what inside associates feel about the firm, its culture, work-life balance, billable hours, etc.

I had one of those VERY nonproductive days today. I think I accomplished maybe an hour of billable work, even though I had a bunch of stuff to do. I just came off a 300 hour month, and unexpectedly got a continuance on a deadline on Wednesday, and it’s like all of my motivation leeched out of me at once.

Anyone else getting guilt tripped after putting in their 2 weeks notice? My partner keeps talking about how our team was already drowning in work and now the other associates are going to have to take on my cases too. I do feel bad for them, but this opportunity with my new firm was too good to pass up! I'm trying my best to make sure all my cases can be transitioned smoothly, but that's all I can do 🤷‍♀️

Any insight on Hunton Andrews Kurth Real Estate practice group? Work life balance, type of people in the group etc. Anything at all would be helpful!

Stub year in a free market firm frustrated about hours. Everyone was complaining about being slow last month, but it seems most passed 100 hours and I only got 60. I’ve been doing everything mgmt says to do but I’m making no progress in getting work. I can’t help but think I don’t fit in here and people don’t like me - especially because I went to a lower-ranked school, grew up poor, and am neurodivergent so networking is hard for me. Whole system feels very nepotistic. I just want to give up.

Hi everyone

Kindly share your experiences here

I have cleared three round of interviews in VMware for a business analyst position. One primary screening and two technical rounds. One more round is scheduled for further discussion. So is it a technical round or not. Also how many rounds are there going to happen.

Anyone here working in the NYC area? Wondering how you manage to save and buy for a house with such a high cost of living in the city and the suburbs around it. How did you do it? And areas that you would recommend looking at. I’m currently 24. Maxing out all retirement accounts, debt free and have 6 months emergency fund. Looking for areas to buy a house in the future, but getting discouraged with these crazy prices

LOS- Tax, retain shows no hours booked for the next few weeks. Asked my coach and he responded not enough work to give all associates 50-55 hours...I haven't received warnings- should I be concerned?

Any dermatology research opportunities?

The president of Nintendo America is named Bowser. Wat.

Anyone have any experience with a good executive coach for a challenging personality? Please help! (Looking for a friend. Quite seriously.)

I don’t understand the whole “sending love and hugs” thing people say. Does anyone actually feel the love when they read that?

Do you ever just stop and think how we’ve made up this society with items and things of monetary value rather than live peacefully and the fact that we’re too absorbed with our own lives to stop and think of how if we did it together we could actually do it? 🙃

Hi Everyone, I need your opinion.
I met a girl 2 months into my 6month exchange in NYC. I enjoyed her company and we had fun together. She is really busy (IB) but we made time for each other. so it was late night and weekend hangout. When i was leaving to my home country in UK, we said we would try to make it work. Now that i am home, it has become difficult. I have lots of friends (girls), therefore i am always with them when not working, and she doesn't like it much as my ex is among (TBC)

Hi 👋. I posted here a few weeks ago about being nervous conducting a PIP conversation with my team member.
I did it this week and let me just say it was the weirdest conversation ever. The guy is usually argumentative and tries to disprove every bit of feedback. But this time he just sat there and asked no questions and said nothing.
Maybe he’s looking for new jobs already - don’t mind this at all and this would be a good outcome for him overall.

Is it cool to use slang when with co workers?

Hi
BK Rajput CEO of the Standard Indo Expo Private Limited and Standard Auto Expo private Limited New Delhi India.

BK Rajput CEO
91-7678349465

Sometimes I feel real financial stability is a universe away. Wealth is so hard to build. I’m 24, first-gen, thankful for a couple of very accredited degrees...but it feels like I need a miracle.

ELI5: back door Roth and mega back door Roth. What are they, who do they benefit, how to realize?

Has anyone found success developing business or building their book? Specifically businesses (not individuals)? Looking for new ideas to get clients in the door.

Any one here based out in the Middle East? If so, what's your experience. Would you recommend it. I am 32F - African Descent planning to relocate to the UAE.

Any of you 3-6 PQE associates have your own clients? I would really love to do some business development with tangible results. I want to have my own clients or atleast bring some to the firm. What has worked for you? Also looking for advice from partners who may have started BD efforts early in their career.

Thinking of pivoting from insurance defense to something more meaningful and (dare I say it) with more work life balance. Currently in my 7th year of practice and am just tired of ID. Anyone make the transition? Any advice?

Anybody having to participate in/listen to discussions at work regarding the recent events at the Capitol where your views are in contrast to others in the discussion? If so, how have you handled this?

Have you ever joined a firm purely based on how many POC would be in your practice area?

Are y’all finding your white male bosses to be incompetent as hell or is just me? And they will milk you for all your brilliance and try to squeeze every ounce of labor out of you.

Does anyone in this group have ADHD? Are you finding that working in a law firm setting and billing hours is just not something they can do or is it possible with the proper medication and therapy?

I don’t cut my hours, I consistently reach 7 hours a day, but it’s not enough to meet my firm’s minimum requirement. I’m usually working 9 hours/day.

I’m a woman of color and my legal assistant is a white man…this feels…good?

Today is the first day of the new work week! What are your goals for this week?

Does anyone have any side hustles apart from their day-to-day? If so, what are some suggestions that work well while practicing law?

Anyone in this bowl based in Central Florida that would like to connect?

Just saw this quote from the Minari movie ads and it kinda reminded me of being in BigLaw:
“Minari grows: It comes in the pockets of immigrants, dies in the first year, thrives in the second, and purifies the water and the soil around it.”

How was Diwali for everyone? Do anything fun? I am exhausted after seeing so much family but grateful!

I really feel like I should be excused from this "diversity and inclusiveness" training stuff lmao. It's about implicit bias and I'm sorry it's just not believable coming from an old white man's mouth when there are maybe 4 non-white associates. We're having these meetings 3 times this week. 🤦🏽‍♀️

I’m a newly barred attorney in Atlanta, Ga and I need two things: (1) a mentor who has time to be a mentor; and (2) a job opportunity. I am open to being a staff attorney or junior associate. CAN YALL HELP ME PLEASE?!?

LA fish: Any ideas for Pro Bono assistance for nonprofit community/cultural orgs? A family member recently joined the board of a nonprofit community/cultural org and is looking for counsel. There are no active legal issues, but they’re just trying to get affairs in order and have systems in place in case any do arise. I’m unable to represent them myself due to my work and lack of experience, and I’m unfamiliar with potential resources. Thank you!

Do firms ever rescind offers if you slack of and end up with a poor G.P.A.? I’m talking full time offers after graduation.