Survey of American Lawyers at Major Law Firms Tracking Billable Hours ...

Survey of American Lawyers at Major Law Firms: Tracking Billable Hours and Other Work Time

SURVEY OF AMERICAN LAWYERS AT MAJOR LAW FIRMS: TRACKING

BILLABLE HOURS AND OTHER WORK TIME

ISBN 978-1-57440-319-0 1|Page

?2014 Primary Research Group Inc.

Survey of American Lawyers at Major Law Firms: Tracking Billable Hours and Other Work Time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ......................................................................................................................................... 2 THE QUESTIONNAIRE ........................................................................................................................................ 7 LAW FIRMS OF THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS........................................................................................ 10 METHODOLOGY & SAMPLE CHARACTERISTICS .................................................................................. 13 HOW TO READ THE DATA ............................................................................................................................. 14 SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS .................................................................................................................... 15

Percentage of Lawyers that Track All Work Time vs those that Track only Billable Time .............................................................................................................................................................................. 15 Is Work Time Tracked on Paper, Desktop Computer, Laptop, Tablet or Smartphone? .... 15 Time Keeping While Away from the Office ......................................................................................... 15 Apps Used for Timekeeping ...................................................................................................................... 16 Timeliness of Submission of Time Sheets ........................................................................................... 16 Prevalence of Underestimation of Billable Hours as Compensatory Behavior for Sloppy Timekeeping ................................................................................................................................................... 16 Number of Billable Hours Not Recorded in the Past Month Due to Deliberate Underestimation of Time Worked.......................................................................................................... 17 Penalties for Tardy Submission or No Submission of Time Sheets ........................................... 17 Percentage of Firms that Send out Reminders to Submit Time Sheets ................................... 17 Use of Certain Specific Timekeeping systems.................................................................................... 17 Table 1.2 Do you track all time or just billable time? Broken out by Age of Respondent ..... 19 Table 1.3 Do you track all time or just billable time? Broken out by Gender of Respondent ................................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Table 1.4 Do you track all time or just billable time? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ................................................................................................................................................................. 19 Table 1.5 Do you track all time or just billable time? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer.................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Table 1.6 Do you track all time or just billable time? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ............................................................................................................. 20 Table 1.7 Do you track all time or just billable time? Broken out by Legal Specialty ............. 21 Table 2.1 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? ..................................................... 22 Table 2.2 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Age of Respondent .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Table 2.3 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Gender of Respondent .......................................................................................................................................................... 22 Table 2.4 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm .......................................................................................................................................... 23 Table 2.5 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 Table 2.6 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ............................................................................................ 24 Table 2.7 At the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Legal Specialty ................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Table 3.1 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log?.. 26 Table 3.2 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Age of Respondent............................................................................................................... 26 Table 3.3 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Gender of Respondent........................................................................................................ 26

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Survey of American Lawyers at Major Law Firms: Tracking Billable Hours and Other Work Time

Table 3.4 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ..................................................................................... 27 Table 3.5 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer .................................................................................................. 27 Table 3.6 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology................................. 28 Table 3.7 When you travel away from the office how do you usually keep your time log? Broken out by Legal Specialty....................................................................................................................... 28 If you use any timekeeping app on you tablet or smartphone which one do you use and why? ........................................................................................................................................................................ 29 Does your firm encourage or require you to use any particular time management system, software or application and, if so, which ones? ..................................................................................... 31 How do you submit your billable hours to the firm? Through a case management system or billing software? Manually on paper? By email? How does this work at your firm? .............. 35 Table 4.1 How often are you required to submit timesheets? ......................................................... 40 Table 4.2 How often are you required to submit timesheets? Broken out by Age of Respondent .......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 4.3 How often are you required to submit timesheets? Broken out by Gender of Respondent .......................................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 4.4 How often are you required to submit timesheets? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm .......................................................................................................................................... 40 Table 4.5 How often are you required to submit timesheets? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer ............................................................................................................................................................ 41 Table 4.6 How often are you required to submit timesheets? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ............................................................................................ 41 Table 4.7 How often are you required to submit timesheets? Broken out by Legal Specialty ................................................................................................................................................................................... 42 Table 5.1 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? .......................................................................................... 43 Table 5.2 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? Broken out by Age of Respondent ..................... 43 Table 5.3 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? Broken out by Gender of Respondent .............. 43 Table 5.4 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ................................................................................................................................................................................... 44 Table 5.5 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer......... 44 Table 5.6 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side

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Survey of American Lawyers at Major Law Firms: Tracking Billable Hours and Other Work Time

of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ....................................................................................................................... 45 Table 5.7 Have you ever deliberately under estimated the time you spend on a certain task because you cannot remember how much time you spent on it and want to err on the side of caution so that you can make a sustainable case for yourself in case you are questioned by management, clients, insurers or others? Broken out by Legal Specialty ............................. 45 Table 6.1 In the past month about how much time in hours would you say that you underestimated due to this reason? ....................................................................................................................... 46 Table 6.2 In the past month about how much time in hours would you say that you underestimated due to this reason? Broken out by Age of Respondent .................................................. 46 Table 6.3 In the past month about how much time in hours would you say that you underestimated due to this reason? Broken out by Gender of Respondent ........................................... 46 Table 6.4 In the past month about how much time in hours would you say that you underestimated due to this reason? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm......................... 46 Table 6.5 In the past month about how much time in hours would you say that you underestimated due to this reason? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer...................................... 47 Table 6.6 In the past month about how much time in hours would you say that you underestimated due to this reason? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ........................................................................................................................................................... 47 Table 6.7 In the past month about how much time would you say that you under-estimated due to this reason? Broken out by Legal Specialty ............................................................................... 48 What is the penalty at your firm for YOU for failing to submit a time sheet on time? ............ 49 Table 7.1 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? ......................................... 54 Table 7.2 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? Broken out by Age of Respondent .......................................................................................................................................................... 54 Table 7.3 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? Broken out by Gender of Respondent ..................................................................................................................................................... 54 Table 7.4 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ..................................................................................................................................... 54 Table 7.5 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer ............................................................................................................................................ 55 Table 7.6 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? Broken out by SelfPerceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ....................................................................... 55 Table 7.7 Does your firm send out reminders to turn in time sheets? Broken out by Legal Specialty ................................................................................................................................................................ 56 Table 8.1 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? ............................................................................ 57 Table 8.2 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? Broken out by Age of Respondent ....... 57 Table 8.3 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? Broken out by Gender of Respondent 57 Table 8.4 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ................................................................................................................................................................. 58 Table 8.5 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer ................................................................................................................................................................................... 58

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Survey of American Lawyers at Major Law Firms: Tracking Billable Hours and Other Work Time

Table 8.6 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology ............................................................................................................. 59 Table 8.7 About what percentage of the time do you turn in time sheets when you are ideally supposed to do so according to firm policy? Broken out by Legal Specialty ............... 59 Table 9 Does your firm use any of the following billing systems? (Choose all that apply)... 60

Table 9.1.1 Does your firm use Bill4Time billing system? ............................................................ 60 Table 9.2.1 Does your firm use Ebillity billing system? ................................................................. 60 Table 9.3.1 Does your firm use Freshbooks billing system? ........................................................ 60 Table 9.4.1 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? ............................................................ 60 Table 9.4.2 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? Broken out by Age of Respondent...................................................................................................................................................... 60 Table 9.4.3 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? Broken out by Gender of Respondent...................................................................................................................................................... 60 Table 9.4.4 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ..................................................................................................................................... 61 Table 9.4.5 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer............................................................................................................................................................... 61 Table 9.4.6 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology........................................................................................ 61 Table 9.4.7 Does your firm use Timeslips billing system? Broken out by Legal Specialty62 Table 9.5.1 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? .................................................................. 62 Table 9.5.2 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? Broken out by Age of Respondent .............................................................................................................................................................................. 62 Table 9.5.3 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? Broken out by Gender of Respondent...................................................................................................................................................... 62 Table 9.5.4 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm........................................................................................................................................................ 63 Table 9.5.5 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? Broken out by Work Title of the Lawyer............................................................................................................................................................... 63 Table 9.5.6 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? Broken out by Self-Perceived Level of Skill with Information Technology.................................................................................................... 63 Table 9.5.7 Does your firm use PCLaw billing system? Broken out by Legal Specialty..... 63 Table 9.6.1 Does your firm use CosmoLex billing system? ........................................................... 64 Table 10.1 to the best of your knowledge how often are-billable-and other hours worked reports based on time sheet submissions prepared by your law firm? ....................................... 65 Table 10.2 to the best of your knowledge how often are-billable-and other hours worked reports based on time sheet submissions prepared by your law firm? Broken out by Age of Respondent .......................................................................................................................................................... 65 Table 10.3 to the best of your knowledge how often are-billable-and other hours worked reports based on time sheet submissions prepared by your law firm? Broken out by Gender of Respondent ..................................................................................................................................................... 65 Table 10.4 to the best of your knowledge how often are-billable-and other hours worked reports based on time sheet submissions prepared by your law firm? Broken out by Number of Lawyers in the Firm ................................................................................................................... 66 Table 10.5 to the best of your knowledge how often are-billable-and other hours worked reports based on time sheet submissions prepared by your law firm? Broken out by Work Title ......................................................................................................................................................................... 66

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