2400 = The firm will love you, all else being good you are on track to make partner

2300 = Could go either way, but your high hours indicate people like working with you and you will likely make partner

2200 = if people like you, you are still set

2100 = you are doing fine if you can maintain these hours consistently, might even make of counsel one day... partner if you excel at something like winning cases

2000 = you will get bonus, you are doing respectable hours, and you will maintain your job

1900 = no-one will ever fire you for hours like this, especially if they are consistently above 1900 pure billables

1800 = getting close to crappy hours here... you probably won't get fired unless you suck, but you should get your hours up... you shouldn't be consistently billing this low

1700 = danger zone... this is noticeably low... 2 years of this and you will not last

1600 = epic low territory... this coupled with poor reviews and/or another bad hours year and you will be asked to leave

1500 = very very bad, if this is a one off thing fine, but if this is part of a sub-2000 pattern you will be asked to leave

below 1500 = start looking for a new job

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124477)

I spent 6 years at a prestigious biglaw firm (i.e. one without "income partners"). you sound like a first year.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124526)

try again law student.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124551)

1) Inherit a book from a partner on his way toward retirement that takes a shine to you (50% of folks).

2) Build a book of your own (15%)

3) Be incredibly good at a niche area of law that is important to the firm (35%)

4) Hitting "billable" requirements (0%)

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124529)

there are many partners that don't have their own book.

there are many partners who have $20 mil+ books and need other partners to actually do the work.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124557)

You need to relax. This isn't the sort of debate one needs to get emotional about.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124634)

yes, you are a "partner" if you are a "service partner" that is why the title is "partner" which is what this thread is about, making "partner."

given your lack of reading comprehension skills you are obviously not even in law at all.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124597)

For the record, I was biglaw for a few years. I managed to build a book of business of over 500k a year before I left to run startups.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124626)

But yes, to make equity partner your hours matter far less than business potential.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124640)

The reasoning in the OP might get you to "partner" but not partnership, precisely because equity partners don't view hours drones as anything other than a profit center. They don't want to split the pie with anyone other than the three categories I laid out above. I don't see the point in sticking it out in law if you aren't going for equity and the advice to bill yourself in the ground doesn't help you move toward that goal.

But yes, I accept that my perspective on the matter doesn't reflect how people view things these days. I left law almost a decade ago when a lot of this stuff was just getting established. It's depressing as fuck that it has been swallowed hook line and sinker by folks though.

(http://www.autoadmit.com/thread.php?thread_id=3590881&forum_id=2#33124664)