How many hours do big law associates work on Reddit?
Asked by: Mr. Jackson Witting | Last update: September 6, 2025Score: 4.6/5 (63 votes)
Depends heavily on stage of career. I know well-established partners who work 30-40 hours most weeks. I'd say 40-55 is the most common range.
How many hours a day do big law associates work?
Tend to work 12+ hours daily (and on the weekends). You're in a highly competitive and stressful lawyer job environment. And you also handle multiple matters simultaneously and multitask like a pro.
Is 2000 billable hours a year a lot?
They also include time spent on research, drafting legal documents, and other non-billable activities that are crucial to case preparation. So, while 1,900-2,000 billable hours might seem like a lot, it's all part of the job description and vital to the successful operation of a law firm.
How to bill 3000 hours?
Actually, to bill 3000 hours would mean “billing” eight hours a day, every day of the year. However, having eight billable hours a day usually means you need to work about 12-14 hours a day, every day of the year.
How many hours a week is 2200 billable hours?
The typical minimum billable hours for attorneys per year are around 2,200 hours — that's at least 42.3 billable hours every week.
Your BIG LAW Questions Answered: Salary, Work-Life Balance, Hours, and More!
Do lawyers work 9 5?
During the week, many attorneys work additional hours outside of the traditional 9-to-5 business day. The 2022 Legal Trends Report provides deeper insights into lawyer working hours: 86% of lawyers work outside of the typical work day (beginning between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. and ending between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.).
Is 1850 billable hours a lot?
It's not a complicated equation – the more hours you bill, the more revenue for the firm. Firms “average,” “target” or “minimum” stated billables typically range between 1700 and 2300, although informal networks often quote much higher numbers.
Is working 3000 hours a year a lot?
Burnout is always one step away
And guess what? It still will never be enough. A friend billed 3,000 hours last year, which is insane. This translates to working at least 8.2 hours every day for the year, which includes weekends and holidays.
Does skadden have billable hours?
These hours include all client billable and pro bono hours, as well as up to 100 hours for time spent shadowing senior attorneys (first through third year associates) and for making contributions to substantive legal work involving thought leadership, knowledge management, business development, and attorney learning ...
How many billable hours is 1800?
To achieve 1,800 billable hours, an associate would work “regular” hours plus an extra 20 minutes Monday through Friday, or work one Saturday each month from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. The first option would give an attorney 1,832 billable hours, with a total of 2,430 hours spent “at work” (AKA: including performing ...
How bad are biglaw hours on Reddit?
Heavy weeks usually involve trials (70 hours/week for about a month) or unfortunate cascading of deadlines in multiple cases (60-80 hours/week). Hard to give a breakdown but I typically bill about 1900 hours each year (and take at least 20 days off in addition to holidays).
How many billable hours are realistic?
As we mentioned, many law firms require their lawyers to work between 1,700 and 2,300 billable hours per year, depending on their situation. This means working between 142 and 192 hours per month, or between seven and ten billable hours per day.
How many hours a week do most lawyers work?
If you work at a smaller law firm, you'll probably wind up working between 45 and 55 hours a week. And if you work at a larger firm, you'll probably be required to work between 65 and 80 hours a week. It may also come as no surprise that young lawyers tend to work more hours than their older colleagues.
How rich are BigLaw partners?
It's no secret that it pays to be a Biglaw equity partner. A 2022 survey of partners in “NLJ 350- and Global 100-size firms” found average compensation of $1.12 million, a 15% increase over the average in the prior survey conducted in 2020.
How much do big law associates make first year?
BigLaw Associate Compensation Soars To $251k For 1st Years, $575k For 8th Years. Above the Law, Associate Bonus Watch 2024: Cleary Gottlieb. Cravath.
Is investment banking harder than law?
Of the two careers, investment banking requires greater quantitative acumen and math skills. The educational requirements for becoming a lawyer are much more rigid than those for becoming an investment banker.
How much do Skadden associates make?
How much does an Associate make at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates in California? Average Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP & Affiliates Associate yearly pay in California is approximately $204,474, which is 202% above the national average.
Does Skadden do pro bono?
Skadden regularly partners with its clients around the globe on shared-value pro bono and community service work, both by engaging in joint legal services efforts and providing a range of administrative, logistical and program development support for our clients' pro bono and charitable endeavors.
What is the minimum billable hours for Latham?
Latham & Watkins
The firm is huge, with over 3,000 attorneys, and associates here describe the culture as friendly and relaxed, with a manageable billable hour requirement of 1,900 hours and lots of flexibility on when and where work is done.
Are there 2080 work hours in a year?
The number of work hours per year for full-time workers is 2,080. How'd we get here? A full-time employee typically has five, eight-hour work days a week — or a 40-hour workweek. Multiply that by the 52 weeks in a calendar year, and you get the total number of hours: 2,080.
Will the average person spend 90000 hours at work?
Writer Annie Dillard famously said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” For many of us, a large portion of our days is spent at work; in fact, the average person will spend 90,000 hours at work over a lifetime. It's safe to say your job can make a huge impact on your quality of life.
How many hours a week is a workaholic?
On the other hand, an employee can work a little more than 40 hours per week and be a workaholic due to their inability to stop thinking about work long after clocking out. Finally, some research even suggests that workaholic tendencies may lead to diabetes and heart disease.
How many hours are billable at Holland Knight?
At 2,000 hours, the billable requirement is higher than many associates prefer, and a full bonus is tied to hitting that number.
Do small firms have billable hours?
Depending on your role within a firm, you may be given a required number of billable hours per year, or you might make the call for yourself and/or other associates. Small law firms arrange less traditional systems; for example, your compensation may be based on the number of hours you bill.
What is a good billable hour?
Thankfully, using a billable hours chart can help. Lawyers work hard, and they work a lot. Many firms expect attorneys to reach minimum billable hour requirements ranging between 1,700 and 2,300 hours per year. According to the latest Legal Trends Report, lawyers spend just 2.9 hours each workday on billable work.