10.1.26 Billable Hours

For years--since at least 2022--I have posted about the billable hour on the first working day of the month. And then, I skipped September 2026--gasp.

Well, I'm back--October 1, 2026--let's check that metric attorneys love to hate.

My firm expects partners to track 2,400 hours a year.

That includes billable time and non-billable or investment time.

Investment time includes work I do to develop myself professionally and personally--business development, bar association and inns of court time, mentoring, and more.

If it helps move my career, firm, colleagues forward, I track that time in my firm’s billing system so it counts toward the 2,400-hour-all-in goal.

Going into September, I was on track to meet the 2,400-hour expectation.

Then, I took the first week of September off and fell behind by about a week’s worth of time.

And now, Q4 includes some major holidays.

My husband is not an attorney and has time off because his business closes over Christmas and New Year’s.

I want to protect at least some of that time so we can go home to Atlanta and visit my family.

Typically, I look at the month ahead and divide my monthly goal by the working days in that month.

But, in Q4, I am looking at the full quarter instead.

I am asking: How many days will I work over the next three months?

I need to track about 650 hours in Q4.

In October, I have 22 working days.

In November, I have 19 working days.

In December, I have 18 working days.

I add those together (59) and divide 650 hours by it to find my daily goal--11 hours per working day.

Some of you will say that it is insane. Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. To each their own and what you feel capable of tracking.

What I know is this: some days I will track 11 hours, some days I won't.

Some days I will track over 11 hours because I have trackable travel, business development events, long billable days, or because I spend a Saturday participating in a pro bono clinic.

So, it usually evens out because of everything I do.

I do this monthly tracking so I know where I stand.

I know when I need to step it up, find more work or investment time, and track more hours.

I know when I can take a breather because I am on track or ahead.

Knowing where I stand gives me power.

It gives me choice about what I do with my time.

It helps me avoid getting to the end of the year and needing to bill an extra 100 hours over one or two months.

I have used this method since my fourth year as an associate, and I have never missed my all-in number.

This is paired with a daily time-entry habit where I enter and release my time (yes, daily).

I track my time in real time and check in against my expectation monthly.

That puts me in the driver’s seat.

I actually don't think about the billable hour that often.

It is simply something I do--habitually, subconsciously.

I take care of it, then move on to the more meaningful billable and investment tasks.

🔥✌🏻♥️