Big Law— how many hours this year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had a parental leave this year, but my annualized hours were just over 2400, which is around where I always am. My high year was just under 2600. I always have significant nonbillables on top of that (in excess of 200 hours per year). Senior associate and up for partner.

I should add that the partner I work most closely with billed close to 3,000 this year. The partners in my practice group at my firm are workhorses. They all do well above 2000 per year and most around 2400-2500/year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had a parental leave this year, but my annualized hours were just over 2400, which is around where I always am. My high year was just under 2600. I always have significant nonbillables on top of that (in excess of 200 hours per year). Senior associate and up for partner.

I should add that the partner I work most closely with billed close to 3,000 this year. The partners in my practice group at my firm are workhorses. They all do well above 2000 per year and most around 2400-2500/year.

This must be litigation. That’s a ridiculous work pace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3100

This is highly questionable, and probably a troll. 3100 hours is 8.5 hours every single day of the year with no days off including weekends. It’s 10 hours every day if you had one weekend day off a week. And that is only billable, without admin or firm junk that takes time. So if this is real, no way you didn’t pad these billables. And if it really is real with no padding, I hope your bonus is excellent, or I hope you’re a partner whose comp is closely related to these billables. At my firm which uses the standard scale but extra for those who exceed, the extra is 100% not worth it - it’s maybe an extra 30k but for an additional 1000 hours.

Don't forget that litigators have a lot of fluff hours--travel for depos, interviews, and doc collection can generate tons of time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:3100

This is highly questionable, and probably a troll. 3100 hours is 8.5 hours every single day of the year with no days off including weekends. It’s 10 hours every day if you had one weekend day off a week. And that is only billable, without admin or firm junk that takes time. So if this is real, no way you didn’t pad these billables. And if it really is real with no padding, I hope your bonus is excellent, or I hope you’re a partner whose comp is closely related to these billables. At my firm which uses the standard scale but extra for those who exceed, the extra is 100% not worth it - it’s maybe an extra 30k but for an additional 1000 hours.

Don't forget that litigators have a lot of fluff hours--travel for depos, interviews, and doc collection can generate tons of time.

Lots of depos and interviews were done remotely this past year, which would cut down significantly on that travel time. And, even with travel and some extended trials, 3,100 is a crazy number.

[Anonymous]

I am at 2040 ytd of pure billables in a transactional group that was not adversely impacted in terms of availability of work (though the nature of the deals changed some). I was annualizing 2120 most of the year but December has fortunately been a little slower for me than expected. I have 50-60 pro bono hours on top of that as well as around that for recruiting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am at 2040 ytd of pure billables in a transactional group that was not adversely impacted in terms of availability of work (though the nature of the deals changed some). I was annualizing 2120 most of the year but December has fortunately been a little slower for me than expected. I have 50-60 pro bono hours on top of that as well as around that for recruiting.

Would you have been better off hitting 2120 than where you wind up, either in terms of bonus or standing at the firm? For a lot of firms, you wouldn't actually benefit between those two points, so the slow December isn't the end of the world.

[Anonymous]

The art of creative timekeeping seems alive and quite well.

[Anonymous]

Those billing more than 2000 hours, when do you spend time with your kids? Do you exercise regularly? Do you read books or have any hobbies you participate in regularly? Serious question because I am thinking of moving into a full time role after doing part time work for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those billing more than 2000 hours, when do you spend time with your kids? Do you exercise regularly? Do you read books or have any hobbies you participate in regularly? Serious question because I am thinking of moving into a full time role after doing part time work for a long time.

From 7-9am, then 5:30-7:30pm, and on weekends. I work at home during Covid and just go to the basement to log on.
Unfortunately no.
Yes, I carve out time to read books in the tub or staying up late (whenever DD is asleep). I used to read on the bus to/from work, which was a surprisingly satisfying amount of reading time. I also used to meet up with friends for yoga, which killed several birds with one stone, but. . . Covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am at 2040 ytd of pure billables in a transactional group that was not adversely impacted in terms of availability of work (though the nature of the deals changed some). I was annualizing 2120 most of the year but December has fortunately been a little slower for me than expected. I have 50-60 pro bono hours on top of that as well as around that for recruiting.

Would you have been better off hitting 2120 than where you wind up, either in terms of bonus or standing at the firm? For a lot of firms, you wouldn't actually benefit between those two points, so the slow December isn't the end of the world.

No minimum and also received the COVID-bonus — so I am thrilled by the slow December.

[Anonymous]

1300. The rest of you are suckers.

[Anonymous]

2070 client billable

[Anonymous]

So so low - about 1150. I expect that the firm will be having a conversation with me soon about it and I’m trying to figure out next steps.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Those billing more than 2000 hours, when do you spend time with your kids? Do you exercise regularly? Do you read books or have any hobbies you participate in regularly? Serious question because I am thinking of moving into a full time role after doing part time work for a long time.

DH billed about 2200 this year. He can’t do a lot of what he would like to do, but he spends lots of time with the kids and exercises regularly. He likes to kill two or three birds with one stone: he listens to an audiobook with a kid while he exercises in his rower and stuff like that. He’s really focused on using his time well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So so low - about 1150. I expect that the firm will be having a conversation with me soon about it and I’m trying to figure out next steps.

Are you part-time? Did you at least do a lot of non-billable committee stuff?