What’s your firms hours requirement? We’re in Midwest and I’m hearing that 1800 hours could now be higher than norm. ???

No hours requirement for my team. I want people to want to come to work. I want associates to have a work- life balance. I want new associates to learn how to be good lawyers and to be client facing so they can be rainmakers for the firm going forward. We have goals of 150 per month. But 120+ works fine. I don’t want associates to bill for billing sake, either. We also don’t pin bonus on hours. Wrong incentive in my view. It should be good client service.

My firm now is 1850. My prior two firms were 2000 a year and that was minimum. Associates were literally castigated and refused bonuses unless they hit 2100 or 2200. Most of the partners billed 2300-2400. It was not good. I don’t wish that lifestyle on anyone. I would much rather have a life balance. I make less but I’m 100 percent happier.

1900 for associates, 1800 for non-equity shareholders. Across the US and a few international locations.

Southeast here 1850-2000 for full-time associates, 1600-1800 for partners

We are in midwest and have a requirement of 1800 hours.

No hours requirements, but a high level of scrutiny if we can’t tell you’re working.

Ok sounding like 1800 still pretty normal though maybe less for partners. I do like the ideas from those without hours requirements. Anyone have cash in the door requirements or use that as metric for associate pay and bonuses? It factors into our partner salary already.

Our firm also is at 1900 hrs but as a goal, and we count 50 hours of client development towards the billable goal. We use a plus-billable hours bonus together with a discretionary bonus. We have hours expectations for equity partners but really that’s largely irrelevant as we look at originated business collections along with several other discretionary factors for partners

I’m in a midwestern city of about 250k residents. Our comp system is mostly based on origination and receipts. Some partners are at 1200 and others are at 2000 hours. The average is probably around 1400 to 1500.

Midwest. 1600

Midwest firm. 1800 for associates.

1800 seems very manageable.