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When I say worst, I mean busiest. I am a first year finishing up a particularly busy month, and would like to hear others' horror stories about busy weeks, months, and years.

Market: CA
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: Ip Lit.
Week: 76 hours
Month: 290
Year: tbd
Outlook: enjoy the work, just not how much of it there is.

I'll jump in, why not--everyone loves a good billing horror story

Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: M&A
Week: 108.9
Month: 309.6
Year: 2653

Lesson here is to take your vacation days: As you can see, I've had some weeks and months that have been pretty rough but my worst year was not great but also not intolerable. Also finding good teams of reasonable, humane people to work for will make the bad months much less bad. I sort of like the up-and-down nature of it, where you work around the clock for a week and then don't even come in for days after it signs, without the excitement i can't stay engaged. If i had a position with seven hours of reasonable work, research, writing, advice, etc., i would be bored and just procrastinate all day. Couldn't do it.

D.C. Biglaw
Patent lit
Week 110 hrs
Month 330 hrs
Year 2150

haha oh my god, how is your biggest month 330 and yet the year is only just over 2000? Was this just some giant push to make hours at the end? And if so how did you keep everything so chill the rest of the year. I have not figured out how to do that . . .

masque du pantsu wrote:haha oh my god, how is your biggest month 330 and yet the year is only just over 2000? Was this just some giant push to make hours at the end? And if so how did you keep everything so chill the rest of the year. I have not figured out how to do that . . .

First half the month I was trying to get to 2000 hours. Second half was just absurdly busy as fuck. On Dec 1 I was worried I wouldn't hit 2000 and then I hit 2150 lol.

My firm was never that busy. most people hit 2000 hours barely.

Market: Tertiary
Firm Type: Regional/midlaw
Practice Area: Niche corporate
Week: >108
Month: >320
Year: <2,000
Outlook: Midlevel, former major-market BL. Hours even out, but I hate the unpredictability, biz dev aspects, hours-driven business, and lack of attachment to large client work. If I found an appealing in-house job that did not require a move, then I would take it. Midlaw has had worse weeks/months, but provides a sustainable lifestyle if nothing better comes along. I find the subject matter interesting, but the work repetitive and uninspiring.

masque du pantsu wrote:I'll jump in, why not--everyone loves a good billing horror story

Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: M&A
Week: 108.9
Month: 309.6
Year: 2653

Lesson here is to take your vacation days: As you can see, I've had some weeks and months that have been pretty rough but my worst year was not great but also not intolerable. Also finding good teams of reasonable, humane people to work for will make the bad months much less bad. I sort of like the up-and-down nature of it, where you work around the clock for a week and then don't even come in for days after it signs, without the excitement i can't stay engaged. If i had a position with seven hours of reasonable work, research, writing, advice, etc., i would be bored and just procrastinate all day. Couldn't do it.

Honestly, there is no lesson here other than "This is how bad it can be". Seems like you were meant to do this job if 2653 hours is not intolerable. After two months i'd be gone.

Mine is only this - and I had to quit my first firm because I was burnt out:

Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: Finance
Week: 78
Month: 350
Year: 1930

tbird wrote:When I say worst, I mean busiest. I am a first year finishing up a particularly busy month, and would like to hear others' horror stories about busy weeks, months, and years.

Market: CA
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: Ip Lit.
Week: 76 hours
Month: 290
Year: tbd
Outlook: enjoy the work, just not how much of it there is.

MArket: DC
Firm type: BL
Practice area: White collar lit
Week: slightly under 70
Month: 290, prior month was 220, following month was 240; that's really what made this stretch bad.
Year: 2250

In general, a single month of a big billing isn't bad (to me). I balance out all the busy months with vacations.

Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: Lit
Week: 120
Month: 350+
Year: ~3400

No longer at firm so don't have exact numbers but good memory. Worked an average of 314/month the year I left to clerk.

Lincoln wrote:Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: Lit
Week: 120
Month: 350+
Year: ~3400

No longer at firm so don't have exact numbers but good memory. Worked an average of 314/month the year I left to clerk.

Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: M&A
Week: 101.5
Month: 305
Year: 2405

Haven't billed more than 150 in a month in almost a year. 70% of my months have been sub 150. You guys gotta learn to say no.

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

love to do the job of two lawyers so my great partners can make more money

Wasn't me, but someone I know had a 400 or so hour month.

Lit - CA office of a Chicago-based BL firm

Worst week: 92 hours (including travel time); 81 hours (different week that included no travel time)
Worst month: 270
Worst year: 2450 or so (including pro bono but not including other nonbillable work)

dixiecupdrinking wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

love to do the job of two lawyers so my great partners can make more money

I definitely paid for some vacation houses with blood, sweat and tears.

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

Classic case of Stockholm Syndrome.

Market: CA
Firm Type: BL
Practice Area: Finance
Week: 84
Month: 316
Year: 2065

Lincoln wrote:

dixiecupdrinking wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

love to do the job of two lawyers so my great partners can make more money

I definitely paid for some vacation houses with blood, sweat and tears.

Did any of the partners ever tell you to slow down?

Desert Fox wrote:D.C. Biglaw
Patent lit
Week 110 hrs
Month 330 hrs
Year 2150

Nearly twins on this one dude.

CA Biglaw
Patent Lit
Week 110
Month 330
Year 2170

Mine was due to trial. And taking it easy the rest of the year after trial. Don't like being this far over target.

Edit to add I don't know how you people bill more than this. This year was pretty damn busy for me.

Prana-9 wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

dixiecupdrinking wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

love to do the job of two lawyers so my great partners can make more money

I definitely paid for some vacation houses with blood, sweat and tears.

Did any of the partners ever tell you to slow down?

No. Not that kind of firm.

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

dixiecupdrinking wrote:

Lincoln wrote:

Prana-9 wrote:Geez. How did you not die? That is crazy hours. No job is worth that much. Congrats though on your effort and perseverance.

I almost did die a few times. But I loved my cases and got to do really cool stuff with really great lawyers. It helps.

love to do the job of two lawyers so my great partners can make more money

I definitely paid for some vacation houses with blood, sweat and tears.

Did any of the partners ever tell you to slow down?

No. Not that kind of firm.

my god this sounds bad for your health

Lincoln's numbers sound insane, almost like Wachtell. I'm pretty sure I would have died.

Waiting for somebody to say that they billed 168 hours in a week

Market: NY
Firm Type: BL
Practice area: rotating, but worst weeks were in M&A
Week: 127-132 (3 weeks within that range, non-consecutive)
Month: ?
Year: ?