Billable Hours
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Billable Hours
Lawyer Fee Of $1.53/Hour? We Have Finally Hit Rock Bottom, Folks!
When a Florida law capped an attorney at $1.53 an hour, the Florida Supreme Court finally stepped in and called shenanigans. -
Biglaw, Billable Hours
The Sad Truth One Stat Reveals About The Legal Industry
The only good associate is a billing one. - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
In-House Counsel, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 03.14.16
* Ivanka Trump is getting called out on Instagram. Seems one of the shoes in her eponymous line is a dead ringer for Aquazzura’s Wild Thing fringe sandal. [The Fashion Law]
* The billable hour actually makes law firms less competitive — not that this revelation will stop firms from conducting business that way. [Lawyerist]
* When people attack Judge Jane Kelly because she used to be a public defender, they are really taking a crack at the Sixth Amendment. [Slate]
* All the things that in-house counsel really want from their outside attorneys. [Ten Things]
* A contested convention looks increasingly likely, and the GOP establishment is busy planning for that eventuality. [Bloomberg Politics]
* Our friends at Solo Practice U turn 7! Don’t miss their anniversary special. [Solo Practice University]
* Word to the wise: when you start looking to House Of Cards for political tactics, you might be one of the bad guys. [The Slot]
* What it takes to pull off a career comeback. (Spoiler alert: it isn’t easy.) [Law and More]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 02.09.16
* Demand for corporate work may be down, but that’s not stopping senior Biglaw partners from ramping up their hourly billing rates. Partners at some firms have rates that exceed $1,400 per hour. They’re not making it rain, they’re making it monsoon! [WSJ Law Blog]
* No law license,
nopretty huge problem: Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane’s license to practice law is still suspended, so the state Senate has scheduled a historic vote for her removal. For her part, Kane, of course, thinks this is “unwarranted and unconstitutional.” [PennLive.com]* Herbert Sudfeld Jr., an ex-partner at Fox Rothschild, was convicted of insider trading. He’d apparently eavesdropped on discussions related to a firm merger client and purchased stock based on what he’d overheard. [Legal Intelligencer via ABA Journal]
* Washington & Lee Law settled a suit filed by a former student who claimed he was dismissed as a result of a campus judicial proceeding because he was accused in a sexual assault case. The terms of the deal won’t be disclosed. [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
* When your firm’s founding partners have been disciplined by the state Supreme Court a few times too many, you should probably hurry up and change the firm’s name to something kooky like LawyerASAP to distract your existing clients. [Orlando Sentinel]
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Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Boies Schiller Pays Up To $350K (Again)
Bonuses at Boies Schiller aren't quite as big this year, but the average bonus still falls just shy of $100,000. -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 11.23.15
* There is life after a failed bar exam. Here’s how to make it through. [The Anxious Lawyer]
* Get the full breakdown of the results of the California bar exam. [Bar Exam Stats]
* “Mayor of Roanoke not racist, says Mayor of Roanoke,” and really, do you need a better source than that? [Lawyers, Guns and Money]
* Ugh, the discovery of employee text messages — it’s gonna get messy. [Law and More]
* Get some *free* CLE credit for an online session on legal project management. [Practical Law]
* It sucks, but being too busy really does make you better at your job. [Daily Lawyer Tips]
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Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 11.13.15
* Gaming laws are incoherent and inconsistent… do go on. Check out Steve Silver’s appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. [NBC Sports]
* Lady lawyers: Do you drink more to impress partners? [Corporette]
* How’s this for a thought experiment? If Mozart were a lawyer, what would his closing argument look like? (It’s a truck question — he’d probably settle.) [Jurispire]
* The coming elections are really inspiring people to be dumb. Especially when the future of the Supreme Court gets bandied about. [Lawyers, Guns and Money]
* Advice for hitting your yearly billable targets — 6 minutes at a time. [Daily Lawyer Tips]
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Morning Docket
Morning Docket: 11.06.15
* Law school admissions standards have plummeted and bar exam passage rates are circling the drain. This can only mean one thing: an army of dumb would-be lawyers whose degrees aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on will “become criminals themselves — robbing liquor stores, grabbing old ladies’ handbags, selling derivatives.” [Wall Street Journal]
* A Pennsylvania attorney was charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography after it was discovered that he was downloading the images at his law firm. Protip: Don’t leave pictures of nude boys engaged in sexual acts in the copier tray. [The Reporter]
* Law firms where older partners refuse to pass the baton may be in trouble. “Some law firms could crumble after this generation because they don’t have a lot to sell to the next generation.” Only 3% of managing partners belong to Generation X. [New York Times]
* DLA Piper’s London office launched a review of its pay structure in an effort to remunerate partners based on more than just billable hours alone. One wonders if this meritocracy will make its way across the pond to us here in America. [Legal Business]
* According to a landmark decision from the Mexico Supreme Court, it’s a constitutional right for people to be able to grow and smoke their own marijuana. Of course, this ruling only applies to the petitioners, but it’s a step in the right direction. [Los Angeles Times]
- Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get… -
Biglaw, Bonuses, Money
Associate Bonus Watch: Skadden Increases Its Minimum Hours For Bonus Eligibility
Get ready for some hardcore Skaddenfreude, because this firm seems to be screwing its associates. -
Boutique Law Firms, Partner Issues, Small Law Firms
Address Billing Concerns Immediately To Maintain Good Client Relationships
Whatever the reason for the problem, if you are not getting paid what you should and when you should, address your and your clients’ concerns right away. -
Money, Technology
Show Me Other People's Money, Fast
What are some of the tools available to attorneys for billing clients and getting paid? Technology columnist Sean Doherty investigates. -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel
GCs Know How Lazy You Are -- Here's How They Figured You Out
Don't give your client the wrong impression by falling into any of these behaviors that general counsel consider signs of a lazy lawyer. -
Billable Hours, Small Law Firms, Solo Practitioners
Figuring Out Your Small-Firm Billing Philosophy
In a small firm, you have to use your judgment as to what's billable and what's not.
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
Sponsored
Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
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Technology
Putting Time Entry in Its Place: A Watch
The new Apple Watch operating system could revolutionize timekeeping, and a few manufacturers have already unveiled their new apps. -
Legal Ethics, Television
Bill Your Clients For Watching TV? Seems Legit
It takes some gall to turn in a timesheet like this. -
Biglaw, Billable Hours
Lawyers Work Too Damn Much
That all-nighter you pulled is, in the grand scheme of things, truly meaningless.work- -
Money, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Top Supreme Court Advocates Charge How Much Per Hour?
Appearing before the high court involves high billing rates -- but that doesn't make those rates unreasonable. -
Biglaw, Summer Associates
Major Biglaw Firm Thinks It Can Get Away With Charging Clients For Summer Associate Work
Did the firm seriously think anyone would be willing to pay for that? -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Secretaries / Administrative Assistants
Secretaries At This Firm Are About To Get Annoying (Or: A New Gimmick For Timely Time Entry)
Would you want this policy to be implemented at your law firm? -
Biglaw, Technology
When Millennials Rule The World Of Law
Tech is going to change the way firms bill, train, and manage all aspects of the practice. That's not a prediction, it's an inevitability.