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On slow days, you enjoy the time and relax
Hey I’m also new to billable hours. How do I live a fulfilling existence when every waking moment I’m either drowning in work or worried that I’m not hitting my hours quota when I’m “slow”? Almost seems as if the billable hour system is designed this way to create anxiety on purpose so the gears of the great machine keep turning 🥸.
This is accurate. Welcome to the ride 😬
Tell yourself you’re going to enjoy the slow periods, not catch up on your long-term projects you said you would because there aren’t any looming deadlines (yet), ultimately fail to enjoy the slow periods because you’re anxious about hours.
CLE
It’s called “business development.” Your firm must have a code for that.
Pro bono work is a great way to learn something new and fill hours. Almost all firms give billable hour credit for pro bono with a sizable cap so worth taking advantage of.
Do BD and CLE typically count toward annual hours requirements?
Depends on the firm. At my firm, BD does not but we can bill up to 25 hours of training.
If you’re new there are probably things that you can be reading or watching to get you up to speed. I would ask an older associate that you are friendly with, “hey what do you do on the slow days?” Or “is there any materials that you found helpful when you were starting?” Usually firms have an administrative code for learning that you can bill to. Do not be afraid to ask!
That said, embrace the slow because it will not last. Try not to panic and instead enjoy the fact that you can log off at 5 and go out to dinner on a week night. The ebbs and flows are normal so be sure to enjoy the ebbs when they come.
You might want to ask other attorneys/paralegals for a handbook regarding billable hours. I am sure there is work, and you are doing it, but you might need some assistance on what and how to bill for it.