Associate Life Survey: So, about your hours …
Back in November, we asked you to predict what your hours would look like for 2008, and we reported some worrisome results:
This year, the mighty have fallen, and so have their hours. While roughly 56% of associates still expect to hit at least 2000 hours in 2008, the number reaching 2200 is expected to fall from 35% to about 21%.Meanwhile, the number of associates who won’t even make 1800 hours has roughly doubled, rising from 9.86% to 19.54%. Almost one in twelve associates don’t even expect to make 1600 hours, way up from 3.29% a year ago. (Remember, these numbers exclude stub years.)
But as gloomy as those results were, many commenters expected a much more dire view:
These reported hours seem WAAAAAAYYY high. People here are averaging maybe 80-110 hours per month. I myself would be happy to hit 1200 or 1300 by year-end.
These numbers are still too high. Everyone I talk to at my firm and others is super slow in corporate. The fact that only signle digits are below 1600 for almost all class years is suspicious. People hitting 1400 are having an above average year at many firms.
If I hit 1100, it’ll be a miracle (and a shitty Christmas).Oh, and my small corporate group at a satellite office is looking at a range of approximately 700 - 1200. I think the group will likely be getting smaller…
Um, some of us are padding our hours and are still coming in at under 1600. There was literally no work for months, though things have picked up somewhat in the past couple of months.
And, let’s face it, you know last year’s billable hours must have been awful if the presiding partner of Cravath wants to scrap the system.
So, now that 2008 has come to an end, let’s see if last year’s predictions hold true. Today’s ATL / Lateral Link survey will focus on what your billable hours actually were.
Update: This survey is now closed. Click here to see the results.
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Justin Bernold is a Director at Lateral Link, the sponsor of this Associate Life Survey.
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Comments
Firsty McFirsterton!
Secondy McSecondon!
These pretzels are making me thirdsty!
For a second time in 4 days!
I billed over 2000 hours, but had over 300 pro bono this year.
I billed 2200 hours this year, but Cahill still laid me off.
Next commenter = Mystal's BLUMPKIN Dish
5 may explain some of the weird numbers. If you count pro bono, I'm sure a lot of associates had respectable numbers.
I think we should only count pure billable (even if your firm includes them in your totals) since that's what actually influences revenues.
please update re: A&B
Greedy South Board reporting A&B froze salaries in all offices via a Friday email....is this true?
#7 = Mystal's BLUMPKIN Bowl
The hammer is about to fall in Atlanta...trying to keep up with the big boys in larger markets is coming home to roost.
Frozen Salaries:
Pogo (Bryan Cave)
Womble Carlyle
Alston & Bird
This list will be a hell of a lot longer by February.
#11 -- Don't forget Cleetus, Cooter & Boggs LLp.
They might not make it through the year
I billed under 1600 hours, kept my job, got a bonus, and got a raise.
A + B = not frozen.
Pro Boning hours for NAILING SHEEP in my cubicle put me well over 1600 hours. Twas a good year for me and me sheep.
These numbers can't possibly be representative. Almost 60% are going to make 2000? I have friends at five top V30 firms and none of them think the number is anywhere near 60%. Maybe the ATL population is busier than attorneys as a whole? I find that hard to believe.
These numbers can't possibly be representative. Almost 60% are going to make 2000? I have friends at five top V30 firms and none of them think the number is anywhere near 60%. Maybe the ATL population is busier than attorneys as a whole? I find that hard to believe.
Renee Zellweger always looks like she just ate something sour and is not attractive enough to be in movies. Discuss.
13, is your firm hiring?
There is no way those predicted hours were right. I am a midlevel corporate associate at a V5 firm in NY - most of my colleagues and I ended the year around 1400-1600. Yes, there were people who were swamped with 2500 hours at my firm; but they were definitely the minority, at least in corporate. No comment on litigation.
Worst day on ATL since yesterday.
Bob Costas
I've noticed that a lot of associates, especially the more insecure one, tend to lie to other associates about how busy they are. Why? Got me. It's like my momma used to say: "when it comes to hours, you can lie to other associates, but you can't lie to God or the partners".
Partners = God
Evan Chesler
Oh mighty partner, I shall build a grand temple in your honor. And upon your alter My Lord, I shall sacrafice 10 virgin 1L's from the University of Miami School of Law.
19 is on the money.
Good luck finding virgins from Miami.
Hitting 2000 hours for 2008 was doable because the bulk of the slow-down didn't occur until September/October. Only because I had very high hours before then was I able to just barely hit 2000 hours for the year. 2009 will be much worse. I'm worried.
That commenter is committing fraud by padding his hours. I think it's disgusting. (I'm not being ironic)
-Biglaw associate.
maybe ATL attracts more litigators than corporate types. litigation at my firm is hopping, though they're twiddling their thumbs over in corporate.
A&B, or A+B, is definitely frozen. The partner in charge of associates sent out a firmwide email last Friday. It was posted in the comments of the salary freeze surprise post, but not called out very well.
I am a midlevel in D.C. and I know very few people in D.C. (litigation, real estate, or corporate) in my firm or others that billed (not including pro bono, business development, etc.) over 2000 hours last year.
I am a midlevel in D.C. and I know very few people in D.C. (litigation, real estate, or corporate) in my firm or others that billed (not including pro bono, business development, etc.) over 2000 hours last year.
26 is the comment of the day. Awesome.
I billed 2,250 last year. I would have billed even more except for some leave I had to take. The forecast for 2009 is the same.
A&B, or A+B, is definitely frozen. The partner in charge of associates sent out a firmwide email last Friday. It was posted in the comments of the salary freeze surprise post, but not called out very well.