Three Firms Try Taming the Billable Beast

By David Gialanella

The billable hour is the dandelion of law practice: pervasive and not so popular.

So, when seeking to avoid the neg­­­ative effects of a system that provides the profits for many a firm, there can be as many approaches as there are landscapers in the phone book.

Three law firms were among those changing the billable equation last year in hopes of reducing associate and client dissatisfaction. Each took a different approach, and though it’s still early, each firm’s leaders like the current results.

Ford & Harrison took a big step back from the billable hour, removing requirements for first-year associates to meet a billable quota and not charging clients for contributions by first-years. It’s a move that only further emphasizes the need to foster strong relationships with clients, according to managing partner C. Lash Harrison in Atlanta. Read the full ABA Journal article.