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Was/is anyone here an HONEST biller in biglaw?

i turned off my timer if I was just chatting with coworkers,...
Navy Fragrant Space
  05/22/25
Look at this fucking nerd using a timer
supple site
  05/23/25
230 with no fluff is fucking insane. I routinely billed 200 ...
rebellious dilemma internal respiration
  05/23/25
lol @ any "man" even using a timer, let alone turn...
cobalt circlehead mad cow disease
  05/22/25
...
Mahogany heady office hissy fit
  05/22/25
...
wild patrolman
  05/22/25
When I was above 200 my bills were most honest.
Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water
  05/22/25
...
Nudist coffee pot area
  05/22/25
I bill only for time where I'm 100% engaged, doing my best a...
lilac irradiated point
  05/22/25
Partner: Please see me
Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water
  05/22/25
...
Nudist coffee pot area
  05/22/25
I am the partner. That's what's so insane about this.
lilac irradiated point
  05/22/25
...
Mahogany heady office hissy fit
  05/22/25
...
Underhanded rigor locale
  05/23/25
the internal moral stress of retaining honesty is a large re...
Frisky Chad Sanctuary
  05/22/25
why bother retaining honesty? the whole thing is fraud
rebellious dilemma internal respiration
  05/23/25
On average probably padded 15 %. Consider it your “tip...
Rambunctious headpube
  05/22/25
18% is now normal and many biglaw firms are suggesting 20% o...
Mahogany heady office hissy fit
  05/22/25
...
Rambunctious headpube
  05/22/25
...
Bat Shit Crazy Ivory Candlestick Maker
  05/22/25
...
Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water
  05/23/25
My favorite story is still that Sidley associate who wrote a...
Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water
  05/22/25
...
cobalt circlehead mad cow disease
  05/22/25
...
Vibrant meetinghouse
  05/22/25
Any time I've been honest I've been passed up or fired Wh...
Vibrant meetinghouse
  05/22/25
...
Unholy Menage
  05/22/25
...
Mahogany heady office hissy fit
  05/22/25
what happens when the truth comes out later?
Navy Fragrant Space
  05/22/25
Never does imo It's all a big ponzi scheme and everyone e...
Vibrant meetinghouse
  05/22/25
people who make it see the truth immediately, xo autistd and...
Balding codepig
  05/23/25
I’m more of a look at my sent inbox and estimate type ...
galvanic mental disorder
  05/22/25
...
Underhanded rigor locale
  05/23/25
While I would bill more than my actual time frequently, I ne...
Diverse heaven giraffe
  05/22/25
(superstar biglawyer)
multi-colored hideous market organic girlfriend
  05/22/25
...
Balding codepig
  05/23/25
self preservation through mental gymnastics we're all good ...
Odious personal credit line trailer park
  05/23/25
...
Navy Fragrant Space
  05/22/25
If someone makes $15 an hour at McDonalds, you don't get to ...
Rose potus
  05/22/25
>Similarly, when you get an email on your blackberry at 1...
cobalt circlehead mad cow disease
  05/22/25
For a single email id do like a 0.3 or 0.4 but if you're ans...
Rose potus
  05/22/25
wait why cant they mop the floor when orders get slow
cerebral double fault school cafeteria
  05/22/25
When its super slow, they should. When its just a short ...
Rose potus
  05/22/25
im all for workers rights but i dont think mickey d's employ...
cerebral double fault school cafeteria
  05/22/25
...
Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water
  05/23/25
this guy gets it
rebellious dilemma internal respiration
  05/23/25
I bill mainly based upon the value of my work product to the...
Laughsome stead
  05/22/25
(Wachtel)
Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water
  05/23/25
Why would anyone be honest when you can inflate your hours b...
rusted church building athletic conference
  05/23/25
The thing most non-Jewish juniors don’t understand is ...
cobalt circlehead mad cow disease
  05/23/25
Real talk: the people who get "caught" are overbil...
translucent old irish cottage
  05/23/25
I once had to bill more than 24 hours in a day, because our ...
stirring kitty theater stage
  05/23/25
I massively underbill by a few hundred hours a year, often t...
transparent effete university stain
  05/23/25
lol
supple site
  05/23/25
At my V5 prestigious elite M&A MFH shop at which I was c...
supple site
  05/23/25
...
stirring kitty theater stage
  05/23/25
The first thing my biglaw partner told me on day 1 is that y...
cruel-hearted arousing corner laser beams
  05/23/25
I'm not even joking when I say that it's rare and heartwarmi...
translucent old irish cottage
  05/23/25
Wasn't this the premise for Jim Carrey's Liar Liar?
Bat Shit Crazy Ivory Candlestick Maker
  05/23/25


Poast new message in this thread



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:45 PM
Author: Navy Fragrant Space

i turned off my timer if I was just chatting with coworkers, browsing the internet for personal stuff, using the restroom.

also, if I accidentally left my timer running when I wasn't working, I subtracted the excess time based on my rough estimate.

under this system, the most i ever billed in a month was 230, and that was absolutely hellish.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953664)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 8:41 AM
Author: supple site

Look at this fucking nerd using a timer

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955796)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:17 AM
Author: rebellious dilemma internal respiration

230 with no fluff is fucking insane. I routinely billed 200 a month but actually workd like a hundred or so

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956128)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:48 PM
Author: cobalt circlehead mad cow disease

lol @ any "man" even using a timer, let alone turning it off. are u a fempoaster?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953677)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:10 PM
Author: Mahogany heady office hissy fit



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953775)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:49 PM
Author: wild patrolman



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953683)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:51 PM
Author: Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water

When I was above 200 my bills were most honest.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953693)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:52 PM
Author: Nudist coffee pot area



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953696)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:53 PM
Author: lilac irradiated point

I bill only for time where I'm 100% engaged, doing my best and adding value

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953697)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:57 PM
Author: Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water

Partner: Please see me

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953711)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:58 PM
Author: Nudist coffee pot area



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953719)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:01 PM
Author: lilac irradiated point

I am the partner. That's what's so insane about this.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953730)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:10 PM
Author: Mahogany heady office hissy fit



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953776)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:32 AM
Author: Underhanded rigor locale



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956167)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 12:55 PM
Author: Frisky Chad Sanctuary

the internal moral stress of retaining honesty is a large reason why I left biglaw

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953704)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:18 AM
Author: rebellious dilemma internal respiration

why bother retaining honesty? the whole thing is fraud

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956129)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:00 PM
Author: Rambunctious headpube

On average probably padded 15 %. Consider it your “tip” for your services.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953725)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:11 PM
Author: Mahogany heady office hissy fit

18% is now normal and many biglaw firms are suggesting 20% or even 22%

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953779)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:18 PM
Author: Rambunctious headpube



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953815)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:19 PM
Author: Bat Shit Crazy Ivory Candlestick Maker



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953820)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 6:26 AM
Author: Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955678)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:12 PM
Author: Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water

My favorite story is still that Sidley associate who wrote an essay admitting to billing fraud and Sidley was like, “we checked and everything looked good to us. Here’s a ten percent rebate.”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953784)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:13 PM
Author: cobalt circlehead mad cow disease



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953787)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:23 PM
Author: Vibrant meetinghouse



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953844)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:17 PM
Author: Vibrant meetinghouse

Any time I've been honest I've been passed up or fired

When applying I'd give honest solid resumes all passed up

Then I lie even a little bit and they all bite

I tell clients realistic timetables that are still aggressive but reasonable passed or fired eventually

Now I straight up lie

Employment is a satanic system built around forcing u to lie cheat and steal in some sick humiliation ritual

Few ever see the truth about this

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953813)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:19 PM
Author: Unholy Menage



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953819)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 1:21 PM
Author: Mahogany heady office hissy fit



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48953828)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 2:51 PM
Author: Navy Fragrant Space

what happens when the truth comes out later?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48954139)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 2:54 PM
Author: Vibrant meetinghouse

Never does imo

It's all a big ponzi scheme and everyone else is in on it trying not to be caught

Seems like u only get "caught" if u step out of line politically (call out jews etc) or are bottom of the barrel and are essentially a Aztec pyramid blood sacrifice

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48954150)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 9:29 AM
Author: Balding codepig

people who make it see the truth immediately, xo autistd and women struggle

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955867)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 4:50 PM
Author: galvanic mental disorder

I’m more of a look at my sent inbox and estimate type of bro

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48954460)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:33 AM
Author: Underhanded rigor locale



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956169)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 4:55 PM
Author: Diverse heaven giraffe

While I would bill more than my actual time frequently, I never billed for more than the "value" of my work product. So yes I was honest.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48954471)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 5:22 PM
Author: multi-colored hideous market organic girlfriend

(superstar biglawyer)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48954578)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 9:29 AM
Author: Balding codepig



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955868)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:28 AM
Author: Odious personal credit line trailer park

self preservation through mental gymnastics

we're all good people, right? especially me.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956161)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 5:14 PM
Author: Navy Fragrant Space



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48954529)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 9:45 PM
Author: Rose potus

If someone makes $15 an hour at McDonalds, you don't get to dock their pay because when the orders got slow, they chatted with their cowrker rather than mopped the floor.

The same thing applies to law. You take the time you were at work, working, and you divide proportionally.

It's not natural for a person to read 500 pages of bonds without a break - in fact most research says you need to take periodic breaks for your mind to regenerate.

YOu shouldn't "pause your timer" after draftig some document because you're taking a lap to the water cooler or checking Facebook for a bit because you can't rewrite Section 13.6 e.

Similarly, when you get an email on your blackberry at 11 pm, and it takes you 3 minutes to respond - that's not billed as a 0.05 hour. You had to be on call to check for that email, then you lost the momentum from your evening, you're going to think about that email for 10 minutes after, and the deal will be in your head for whatever else you were planning on doing that night.

My point being that whenever your brain is required to be in "work mode" - someone should be paying for that.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955165)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 10:27 PM
Author: cobalt circlehead mad cow disease

>Similarly, when you get an email on your blackberry at 11 pm, and it takes you 3 minutes to respond - that's not billed as a 0.05 hour. You had to be on call to check for that email, then you lost the momentum from your evening, you're going to think about that email for 10 minutes after, and the deal will be in your head for whatever else you were planning on doing that night.

so what do you bill for that? 1.25 to me makes sense

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955247)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 10:31 PM
Author: Rose potus

For a single email id do like a 0.3 or 0.4 but if you're answering multiple hours then i feel like the entire time is fair game

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955262)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 10:35 PM
Author: cerebral double fault school cafeteria

wait why cant they mop the floor when orders get slow

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955265)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 10:40 PM
Author: Rose potus

When its super slow, they should.

When its just a short break, people would quit if they were expected to be fully working 100% of the time.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955278)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 10:42 PM
Author: cerebral double fault school cafeteria

im all for workers rights but i dont think mickey d's employees can actually quit. thats mickey d's whole business model.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955287)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 6:28 AM
Author: Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955680)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:21 AM
Author: rebellious dilemma internal respiration

this guy gets it

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956141)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 22nd, 2025 10:51 PM
Author: Laughsome stead

I bill mainly based upon the value of my work product to the client. If I work hard on something but don't end up with a product that helps the client very much then I will actually underbill for my hours spent. Usually the product is good, though, and then I'm pretty fucking loose in my billing. Me and everyone else I know.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955307)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 6:28 AM
Author: Yellow beady-eyed bawdyhouse boiling water

(Wachtel)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955681)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 7:31 AM
Author: rusted church building athletic conference

Why would anyone be honest when you can inflate your hours by 50% without drawing suspicion? 1500 gets you fired, 2250 gets you a bonus. The only people who ever get caught do colossally stupid shit like bill more than 24 hours in a day, bill for work that was never done, etc.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955722)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 8:43 AM
Author: cobalt circlehead mad cow disease

The thing most non-Jewish juniors don’t understand is that the firm WANTS you to inflate your bill by 50%. Incentives are entirely aligned.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955798)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 9:06 AM
Author: translucent old irish cottage

Real talk: the people who get "caught" are overbilling by 200-500%, not flame. It's like the young woman who spends too long with one foot out the door, or the dude with developing mental illness who's unable to do more than an hour or two of work a couple times a week. And they're ID'd for qualitative reasons, not the billing itself, which is often a straight-up pretext to expedite getting rid of the person.



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955831)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:24 AM
Author: stirring kitty theater stage

I once had to bill more than 24 hours in a day, because our faggy billing system automatically populated 8 hours on holidays. I think this was for the benefit of the hourly employees, but it carried over for salaried lawyers too. Anyway, I ended up working an 18 hour day on Thanksgiving, which the system wouldn't accept. Getting that sorted with the billing system retard was a nightmare.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956150)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 8:41 AM
Author: transparent effete university stain

I massively underbill by a few hundred hours a year, often to the benefit of nobody (lots of contingency matters).

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955792)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 8:41 AM
Author: supple site

lol

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955794)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 8:44 AM
Author: supple site

At my V5 prestigious elite M&A MFH shop at which I was considered a top associate we had a universal understanding on asshole taxes for work that came in Friday afternoon with a “don’t kill your self on this, Monday AM is fine for a markup”

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955799)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:31 AM
Author: stirring kitty theater stage



(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956165)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 9:08 AM
Author: cruel-hearted arousing corner laser beams

The first thing my biglaw partner told me on day 1 is that you never log anything less than a 0.4 even if you spend 30 seconds on it because whatever you’re doing is taking you away from something else you could be doing and billing for

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955837)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 9:15 AM
Author: translucent old irish cottage

I'm not even joking when I say that it's rare and heartwarming to hear about a partner looking out for a young person like that.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48955848)



Reply Favorite

Date: May 23rd, 2025 11:35 AM
Author: Bat Shit Crazy Ivory Candlestick Maker

Wasn't this the premise for Jim Carrey's Liar Liar?

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=5728819&forum_id=2...id.#48956178)