Law Firm - How to Handle "Temp Number" Abuse

[Anonymous]

This question is very specific to the context of being an associate at a large D.C. law firm. With that disclaimer, here is my problem/situation ....

Partners at my law firm often ask me to do work and bill it to a "temp number" with the promise that they will soon open a billable matter to which I can transfer the time. "Temp numbers" are meant to be just that, a temporary "fill" in your time entry until a billable matter number is actually open and you can release the time. "Temp numbers" don't count until the time is released. The problem is, often the partner never opens a matter number. I have time to temp numbers open from 2 years ago. For this year, I have in the neighborhood of 100 hours (I know, YIKES!")

My law firm seems to not have any oversight over "temp numbers" or a mechanism to force partners to open a matter.

1. Could this situation happen at your law firm? If not, what mechanism would stop it?
2. What should I do? (Other than ask the partner to open a matter number, which I already do on a weekly basis.) There is of course a don't-bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you dynamic where I don't want to complaint to higher-ups in the firm about the powerful partner who gives me work.

[Anonymous]

Do you also charge to overhead? It sounds like they're trying to keep you on and employed during less busy times.

[Anonymous]

I was at a law firm for over a decade and never heard of such a thing. Sounds like they’re just giving you non billable busy work.

[Anonymous]

It happens. Sometimes they need to do some research on an issue and farm it out to an associate, and then the potential client decides not to go forward, or can't afford it, or the issue resolves itself, etc. If the client has a General matter, bill your temp time to that and put in [Brackets] the matter name with TEMP. Then you can at least release that time - the partner can choose to write it off on the prebill/proforma if they want.

[Anonymous]

That’s never happened to me. We do not do substantive work if an engagement letter has not been signed. We do sometimes work on pitches, but that’s a separate non billable c/m.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you also charge to overhead? It sounds like they're trying to keep you on and employed during less busy times.

If only this charitable explanation were true. Time held in temp numbers does not count as hours for meeting the annual billing requirement. If someone were to pull my time today it would look like I am below capacity. Adding in the temp time, I am actually a little over capacity. Thus, the partners who are doing this is wrecking my stats, not helping me look better in less busy times.

[Anonymous]

Ask a different partner if your assignments are in line with policy?

Could be some partners are "stealing" your work for their projects (giving extra work to a client, but not giving you proper credit in firm), or sabotaging your career for some reason. Or you are just someone's favorite and you need to get unfavorited.

Also look for a better firm that doesn't punish an associate because partners are bad at managing billing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ask a different partner if your assignments are in line with policy?

Could be some partners are "stealing" your work for their projects (giving extra work to a client, but not giving you proper credit in firm), or sabotaging your career for some reason. Or you are just someone's favorite and you need to get unfavorited.

Also look for a better firm that doesn't punish an associate because partners are bad at managing billing.

This is definitely NOT in line with "policy." The problem is, the policy is not self-enforcing. It's only enforced through partners following it. The only thing I can think to do is go around the "hand that feeds" me and complaint to other equity partners. (I have complained to other junior partners, who have told me there isn't a good solution to my problem and it's happen to them, but not to the extent of 100 hours).

[Anonymous]

That's a shitty practice and the only reason I can think of to do that is because the client won't pay for the work or the partner is giving free advice and counsel to a long-time client. Either way, the partner should eat the lost time, not the associate.

I would find another firm. That the practice is common enough that other partners are aware means they don't respect their workers.

[Anonymous]

This is fairly common at my firm BUT the temp numbers are unique to each partner. So each partner assigning this work is responsible to clear the temp time. Can you note in the time entry who gave it to you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This question is very specific to the context of being an associate at a large D.C. law firm. With that disclaimer, here is my problem/situation ....

Partners at my law firm often ask me to do work and bill it to a "temp number" with the promise that they will soon open a billable matter to which I can transfer the time. "Temp numbers" are meant to be just that, a temporary "fill" in your time entry until a billable matter number is actually open and you can release the time. "Temp numbers" don't count until the time is released. The problem is, often the partner never opens a matter number. I have time to temp numbers open from 2 years ago. For this year, I have in the neighborhood of 100 hours (I know, YIKES!")

My law firm seems to not have any oversight over "temp numbers" or a mechanism to force partners to open a matter.

1. Could this situation happen at your law firm? If not, what mechanism would stop it?
2. What should I do? (Other than ask the partner to open a matter number, which I already do on a weekly basis.) There is of course a don't-bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you dynamic where I don't want to complaint to higher-ups in the firm about the powerful partner who gives me work.

That’s a little weird. First, what year are you? If you don’t have a partner or senior associate you can ask these questions of and get a straight answer, that’s a problem. You need to find someone you can have an off-the-record conversation with about how things really work, or you’re going to have problems later. Even if the answer is “partner X does this and it’s a problem for lots of people” you need to find such things out. Second, are you getting feedback on your productivity? If no one’s complaining and you’re relatively junior, might not be an issue. Third, at worst there should be a formal review process where you can ask that question, in a low key way: “hey, I’ve got a bunch of temp time that hasn’t been billed yet; is that an issue for me?”

[Anonymous]

Isn't this something you can ask HR to deal with?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't this something you can ask HR to deal with?

HR doesn't get involved in law firm billing (NP)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you also charge to overhead? It sounds like they're trying to keep you on and employed during less busy times.

If only this charitable explanation were true. Time held in temp numbers does not count as hours for meeting the annual billing requirement. If someone were to pull my time today it would look like I am below capacity. Adding in the temp time, I am actually a little over capacity. Thus, the partners who are doing this is wrecking my stats, not helping me look better in less busy times.

This isn't fair, and you should get credit for it, whether it is billable or client development credit. But 100 hours over 2 years isn't "wrecking your stats."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Isn't this something you can ask HR to deal with?

Tell me you don't work in a law firm without telling me you don't work in a law firm.