Billable Hours
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Advertising, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Hours - The Real (And Tough) Story
Today’s Career Center Tips Series, focused on the billable hour, is brought to you by Lateral Link’s Frank Kimball, an expert recruiter and former hiring partner. Students and new associates are concerned about hours. So are firms. You will hear anecdotes and twice-told tales about monstrous hours. You will hear that Smith & Jones is […] -
American Bar Association / ABA, Benchslaps, Department of Justice, Free Speech, Movies, Non-Sequiturs, Pro Bono, Romance and Dating, Sam Sparks
Non-Sequiturs: 08.31.11
* Some thoughts from our colleague Matt Levine on the Justice Department’s opposition to the AT&T/T-Mobile merger. [Dealbreaker] * Judge Sam Sparks (W.D. Tex.), king of the benchslap — yes, we already covered his latest handiwork, so no need to email the “kindergarten party” order to us again — has blocked key parts of the […] - 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, Billable Hours, Pro Bono, Public Interest
And the Associates Rejoiced: Now Almost Everything Is Billable at Jenner & Block
Lawyers like to complain about the billable hours requirements at their firms. A common question seems to be what will count and what won't. In this line of work, time is money, and many associates want to know if they're wasting their time. Read on for some good news on billable hours from Jenner & Block....
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Biglaw, Billable Hours, Continuing Legal Education / CLE, Education / Schools, Law Schools
Making First-Year Associates Less Useless, One Class At A Time
One of the lasting effects of the recession has been clients wising up on the value of first-year associates (or the lack thereof). So two major law firms are going to try something different with their first-years. The first-years will get paid their usual $160K salary. But at least at the start, they'll have to go through more training.... -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, In-House Counsel, Money, Technology
Inside Straight: The Truth Behind E-Billing
I’m an idiot. I really am. When I was in private practice, clients said that they instituted e-billing for reasons of efficiency: “We can process bills and pay you faster if you submit bills electronically. E-billing speeds the process for both of us.” I knew that bills that we submitted electronically underwent some kind of […] -
Billable Hours, Hair, Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 08.17.11
* I’m sure the soon-to-be first-year associates out there could use this guide on who to bill their hours to. [Going Concern] * Everybody has advice for when lawyers should step back and remain calm. When is the appropriate time for lawyers to freak out, start screaming and pounding things, and run around saying “we’re […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Books, In-House Counsel
Inside Straight: A Billable Life
Is the billable hour really that bad? Here are some thoughts on the billable hour from in-house columnist Mark Herrmann -- including information about how many hours he billed while working as a partner in private practice at a large law firm. -
Billable Hours, Law Firm Mergers, Small Law Firms
Size Matters: Small Firms Growing In This Economy
How are small law firms doing in a still-challenging economy? Better than you might expect, according to the results of a new survey. - Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm. -
Billable Hours, Lawyer of the Day
Lawyer of the Day: Prosecutor Has A Nutty After A 60-Hour Week
Most lawyers don't expect to work 9-to-5 hours. But sometimes, a lawyer will Hulk-up if you force him to work the weekend. If you can't keep your composure because you have 60-hour work weeks, you might be in the wrong profession. -
Billable Hours, Practice Pointers, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Pricing Legal Services in Eight Easy(ish) Steps
So Lat calls me up all excited about some Biglaw Midsummer Bonus or something, which I totally ignore, and also about some hysterical dicta that Judge Kozinski wrote, which I also ignore (although it probably was pretty funny), and then he starts asking me about my law career. Which, you know, ended. And he points […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, Summer Associates, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Master Your Own Destiny (Or At Least Your Assignments)
Mastering assignments begins with understanding what the lawyers you are working for want. You are not in law school; this is not a contest where you are graded against other students. Clients want answers, not issue spotting. Sophisticated clients already know the issues. Clients want answers based on the facts and applicable law — not […] -
Billable Hours, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Job Searches
Inside Straight: The Other Side Of Paradise
I’ve received a couple of e-mails from associates at large firms saying that these folks sit at their desks dreaming about having in-house jobs: One client instead of many competing for your time. More manageable workload. A broader range of work. Less stress. An opportunity to think strategically instead of wallowing in minutiae. No more […] -
Billable Hours, Contract Attorneys, Document Review, Job Searches, Money, Wall Street Journal
How Can a Lawyer 'Settle' for the Only Job He Can Get?
I’ve always wondered what kind of salary contract lawyers make these days. Okay, not really, I kind of already know, because a lot of my friends are contract lawyers. But for those of you who aren’t familiar with the wonderful world of contract lawyering, the Wall Street Journal had an interesting article yesterday, by Vanessa […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
Sponsored
Navigating Financial Success by Avoiding Common Pitfalls and Maximizing Firm Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
Sponsored
Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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…
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Billable Hours, Small Law Firms
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: The Real Reason for Timesheets
What did you do yesterday? I’m assuming you went to work. Did you put in a full day? Great. Let’s assume you got started around 9:00, took about an hour for lunch, and signed off at 7:00. Maybe for you that’s a light day, or maybe that’s a long day. Doesn’t matter. So that means […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Career Center, Shameless Plugs, Summer Associates, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Manage Your Time -- Life on a Professional's Clock
Welcome to the world of Biglaw — a world of wonder, a world of magic, a world of pure imagination — okay, not really. After you are done watching Willy Wonka, come with me and you’ll see a world of schedules, time constraints, and statutory deadlines with loopholes and an infinite number of exceptions. If […] -
Non-Sequiturs
Non-Sequiturs: 06.09.11
* An update to an item from yesterday’s Non-Sequiturs — or, “a domestic dispute version of Spy vs. Spy.” [Not-So Private Parts / Forbes] * And a response to yesterday’s controversial post about paralegals (and the educational credentials required for the position). [A Paralegal’s Life] * Are you a rising 3L looking for post-graduate employment […] -
Advertising, Biglaw, Career Center, Money, Summer Associates, This Is an Ad
Advice for Summer Associates: Don’t Cost Law Firms More Than You Have To
Jerry Maguire made a memorable plea to retain his client: “Help me, help you. Help me, help you.” As a summer clerk, you are very expensive for the law firm — in addition to your salary and entertainment expenses, firms spend hundreds of attorney hours monitoring your work and keeping you interested. You do not […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, General Counsel, In-House Counsel
Inside Straight: Alternative Fee Agreements For Beginners
Egad! The General Counsel just announced that your target for next year will be to handle 20 percent of all outside legal spend on an alternative fee basis! What do you do? You can’t just do flat fee agreements! What happens if you agree to pay too much, and you’ve given away your client’s money? […] -
Baseball, Biglaw, Billable Hours, Shameless Plugs, Small Law Firms, Sports
Small Firms, Big Lawyers: Small-Firm Wins
I’m a huge Red Sox fan. (That noise you just heard were all the Yankees fans skipping ahead to the comment section. Don’t wait, guys. I’ll be right there.) This season began with the highest expectations, after the Sox won the offseason by acquiring superstars Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford and by rebuilding their bullpen. […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, In-House Counsel, Pro Bono
A Little Chat
Ed. note: This post is by Will Meyerhofer, a former Sullivan & Cromwell attorney turned psychotherapist. He holds degrees from Harvard, NYU Law, and The Hunter College School of Social Work, and he blogs at The People’s Therapist. His new book, Life is a Brief Opportunity for Joy, is available on Amazon (affiliate link). Some […]