September 21, 2008
- Marketing for Attorneys through Abandoning Billable Hours
The September 2008 edition of Corporate Counsel contains an article about Pfizer that has important implications in the marketing for attorneys world. The article mentions how as of January 1, 2008, Pfizer is directing practically all of its labor and employment matters to the law firm of Jackson Lewis for a period of two years. Rather than using billable hours or flat fees for each case or matter, Pfizer and Jackson Lewis have agreed that there will be a yearly cap on legal fees. (…)
July 23, 2008
- Alternative Billing by Lawyers
I recently began representing a client that is using a large law firm for all of its single-plaintiff employment discrimination cases. The large law firm charges for its services for that client on a flat fee basis, with the fee determined based upon the stage at which the case is resolved. My law firm serves as local counsel for the large law firm on a case in Utah and is paid on an hourly basis. I have been impressed, however, with the large firm's creative use of alternative, flat fee billing. Lawyers and law firms need to continue to implement alternative fee arrangements that will lessen and eradicate billable hours.
July 9, 2008
- Lawyers and Substance Abuse
In addition to suffering from high levels of depression and anxiety (and maybe as a result thereof), lawyers appear to have more problems with alcoholism than do individuals in the general population. (…)
June 23, 2008
- Looking Optimistically at Billable Hours
It is possible to thrive in a billable hours-based system. Lawyers in private practice can establish priorities and mindsets that will help them enjoy their work and minimize the negative effects of billable hours. The practice of law in a billable hours world - or the 6-Minute Life - has advantages upon which lawyers (and paralegals) should capitalize. Further, lawyers can and should implement alternatives to billing by the hour. It is helpful to explore various alternatives to billable hours, and continue efforts to eradicate billable hours from the practice of law. Billable hours have not been used by the legal profession over an extended period of time, and there is every reason to believe that the profession can abandon its fixation on them.
January 23, 2008
- January 26 Teleseminar For Law Students
On Saturday, January 26, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., mst (Noon, est), I will be presenting a FREE one-hour teleseminar/webcast for law students about (1) finding the ideal summer clerkship; (2) finding the perfect job following law school; and (3) the effect of billable hours on the legal profession. The teleseminar will be based upon written questions submitted both before and during the presentation. The webcast can accommodate up to 2,000 participants, and the telephone bridge line can accommodate up to 200 participants. An MP3 recording of the teleseminar will be available - for a nominal fee - for those who cannot attend the free, live presentation. (…)
November 20, 2007
- Contingency Fees v. Billable Hours, Part II
Many lawyers are unhappy, and one of the chief causes of unhappiness is billable hours. A common refrain among lawyers in private practice is their expressed dislike for billing hours. I know one lawyer who splits his legal practice between contingency fee matters and billable hour matters. He has told me that he is generally happier when he is working on cases that do not involve billable hours. The key is for lawyers to seek methods of alternative billing, and to take the element of time out of how they charge for legal services. (…)
