Reblog: Methodology for Demonstrating Law Firm Efficiency

While this NALFA post focuses on BigLaw efficiency, these “five court-tested factors” set forth by well known attorney fee expert Ken Moscaret, can also be seen as a common sense litmus test for any law firm’s efficiency.

Whether big or small, all law firms’ legal billings should be evaluated for the following:

1. Concentration of workflow in the hands of a core team of attorneys
2. Appropriate mix of attorneys by skill, experience, and ability
3. Delegation of workflow to less-expensive but competent timekeepers
4. Case staffing continuity
5. Exercise of billing judgment

Not surprisingly, regardless of the law firm size or case complexity, these five common sense factors are heavily abused (for some examples of billing abuse, see here and here or here).