I just found out a lawyer 2 years my senior has written off some of my time through our secretary (and without partner approval). I’ve never heard of this happening (eg a non-partner taking it upon themselves to edit another lawyer’s time). I’m not even sure if this is allowed and I reckon the partners would be pissed if they knew. Should I call this out? Biglaw firm.

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I did this as a mid-level associate, reviewing and writing down younger associate and paralegal time, and i expect mid-level associates to do this now. If i learned that a younger associate went ahead and added back on that time without telling me, or more importantly the senior associate, i would find that to be both odd and a red flag. We use seniority for a reason, namely efficiency, and to ensure that there are checks. What else are you deciding on your own to "correct."

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Listen…this is writing off time that will be billed to the client. Obviously, many postings here betray the fact that they have no idea about how the business of law works.

uplifting

I think the OP didn’t understand what it meant to have hours written off with respect to client billing vis-à-vis what his firm counts toward minimum billable requirements, bonus requirements, etc. But knowledge is power. At some level.

Exactly A6. I don’t think the OP grasps that senior partners have better things to do than review every aspect of a bill instead of delegating this kind of stuff to someone trusted who knows what the client will pay for. AMD it doesn’t matter whether a “partner” signed off. Obviously, the rainmaker/relationship partner likely delegated this to the junior partner who’s likely “partner” he’s referring to here.

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The partner probably gave the “senior” leverage to do so, but in either event I would inquire, yes.

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But does it matter? Do you still get credit for it? When I was a junior lawyer in private practice at an NYC big law firm, partners could write time off, but we’d still get credit for what we billed hours-wise. Then the person writing off the time would be a accountable to the firm as to why she wrote off my time. What I refused to do was to cut my time as I entered it. When asked I always said “I billed what I billed, if you think it’s too much, it it yourself.” That way I still got credit toward minimum requirements, bonus, etc. but I obviously don’t know how your firm works.

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Yes, this is the right answer OP

Nope. Almost certain the partner did not authorise this. I reinstated the time and the partner billed it all to the client. We also got paid for it.

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Could be the partner billed it because she/he thought the senior had already wrote some time off.

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This seems like an odd hill on which to die. I would bet money you're not at this firm a year from now.

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I’m a new lateral within the past three months and am reviewing time.

Not uncommon for mid or senior associates to be asked to review the bill. If you ask anyone about it, ask the associate who wrote it off first. I promise they will not be thrilled hearing you’re going behind their back to the partner before talking with them.

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Yes, thought this was the better approach to.

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I reviewed bills as a mid-level and was authorized to write off other associates' time.

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As was I, and apropos of my previous comment, the junior associates still got hours minimum and bonus credit for the time they billed even though I wrote it off. It was up to me to justify to the senior partner why we weren’t charging the client for it. But I would never have asked junior associates to cut their own time they entered, and I would never agree to similar requests from people senior to me.

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OP sorry but sounds like you’ve got an ego issue. Chill out

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