gov lawyer folks: How many "billable hours" do you work? Forum

[gaddockteeg]

Let's say in an entire year.

Just curious. I realize a lot of you are 9 to 5 or 9 to 6 but I'm curious how much time you guys actually spend doing "billable work" during that time.

By "billable work" I just mean time actually working and not on TLS/reddit or reading articles.

Just asking because 9 to 5 and working 8 billable hours still seems pretty tough.

[Anonymous User]

I'm in my third year working for local govt. Hours are 8/9-5/6 (75% of the time 8-5, 25% 8/9-6). I would probably say about 20 hours a week, if I don't include sitting around in court waiting for my cases to be called. With the waiting for the cases to be called, probably around 30 a week. 5 weeks of vaca and unlimited sick days. Probably around 800-1200 hours a year.

[Anonymous User]

In house counsel, so I am not a government lawyer but work a similar schedule (8-5 -- virtually no weekend work this year). We report our time spent working on assigned matters, somewhat similar to billable hours, but much more relaxed in reporting. The company is simply gathering metrics to report to the executive level that yes, we do work in this department, and the work we do is valuable.

I ran my report, and year to date, I have done 1,402 "billable" hours of work.

For 2016, my total billable hours were 1,567.

[A. Nony Mouse]

Totally depends on whether I’m in trial/trial prep or not.

Trial/trial prep it’s pretty close to all time in the office is billable (also always involves 10-15 hours a week extra).

Not in trial? Definitely less efficient, but it still depends where my cases are at. It goes in waves.

(No idea what it adds up to; I record hours but it’s basically to say what matters my hours go to; I can add hours to the 40 hour week but I can’t enter fewer than 40 hours.)

[gaddockteeg]

Totally depends on whether I’m in trial/trial prep or not.

Trial/trial prep it’s pretty close to all time in the office is billable (also always involves 10-15 hours a week extra).

Not in trial? Definitely less efficient, but it still depends where my cases are at. It goes in waves.

(No idea what it adds up to; I record hours but it’s basically to say what matters my hours go to; I can add hours to the 40 hour week but I can’t enter fewer than 40 hours.)

thanks, can you remind what you do again?

[bruinfan10]

Totally depends on whether I’m in trial/trial prep or not.

Trial/trial prep it’s pretty close to all time in the office is billable (also always involves 10-15 hours a week extra).

Not in trial? Definitely less efficient, but it still depends where my cases are at. It goes in waves.

(No idea what it adds up to; I record hours but it’s basically to say what matters my hours go to; I can add hours to the 40 hour week but I can’t enter fewer than 40 hours.)

how many trials do you have per year?

[A. Nony Mouse]

Trial lawyer for the feds. I’d say about 2 trials a year on average? Again, it varies. Prep kind of extends to fill the time you have to give it, but my trials are short so it’s 3-4 weeks of intense prep for each.

That sounds like way less than it feels like. I should add that other substantive motions/hearings/appeals add more hours, and I work more like 9-6:30 than 9-5 (though obviously that’s not biglaw hours at all). Personally I am much more likely to stay late than to work on the weekends, but I’ll do weekends when I have to. So far it’s honestly been maybe 5-7x a year though.

I know people at both my current and former offices who come in almost every weekend, as well as people who NEVER stay late or come in on the weekends. Unsurprisingly the former tend to resent the latter so I try to avoid being in that group but mostly by taking work when asked and staying late. Some of it is what you make of it. Of course some offices make it much easier/much harder to avoid weekend work (I’m not in a major metro).

[Hand]

I'm in my third year working for local govt. Hours are 8/9-5/6 (75% of the time 8-5, 25% 8/9-6). I would probably say about 20 hours a week, if I don't include sitting around in court waiting for my cases to be called. With the waiting for the cases to be called, probably around 30 a week. 5 weeks of vaca and unlimited sick days. Probably around 800-1200 hours a year.

this right here is the dream, hours-wise. is this in a major metro area? what's your pay like?

to add a data point: my SO is a trial attorney in a fancy division of the DOJ and has probably put in 50-55 hours of "billables" a week throughout most of 2017 and works almost every weekend, which is definitely not the dream

[Anonymous User]

I'm in my third year working for local govt. Hours are 8/9-5/6 (75% of the time 8-5, 25% 8/9-6). I would probably say about 20 hours a week, if I don't include sitting around in court waiting for my cases to be called. With the waiting for the cases to be called, probably around 30 a week. 5 weeks of vaca and unlimited sick days. Probably around 800-1200 hours a year.

this right here is the dream, hours-wise. is this in a major metro area? what's your pay like?

to add a data point: my SO is a trial attorney in a fancy division of the DOJ and has probably put in 50-55 hours of "billables" a week throughout most of 2017 and works almost every weekend, which is definitely not the dream

It is in a major market. I make about 80-85k now. I think max for the people that have been here their whole careers is about 150.

Yea working weekends is def not a dream, I haven't worked a single weekend during my time here.

[Anonymous User]

Significant other works DOJ - GS-13. S/he has a flex schedule and "bills" about 1-2 hours a day.

[Anonymous User]

Not a traditional "government" lawyer, but in Congress you are typically in the office from ~8:30 - 6:30 during session and ~9:00 - 5:00 out of session. Depending on your role, how seriously you take your job, how busy your portfolio is, and the legislative calendar, you could be "billing" as few as a couple hours a day or 10+ when there's a fire drill. A lot of the work isn't necessarily "billable," but is still important to your job/career.