Talk about putting useful information to work — our recent article on how some lawyers are using AI to produce in seconds documents that would normally take hours to draft– yet, billing for those hours not worked– was the spark that inflamed readers who made the same discovery, and had “Are you kidding me?” discussions with their lawyers.

Don’t Be Intimidated

Beyond, “I think you owe me a refund,” several readers went a step further, fearing they would be dismissed with, “That’s our bill, pay it.” So, they researched their state’s bar regulations which dealt with honesty in billing clients for work performed — actual time spent. 

“Ben,” in Cleveland, wrote, “I found a shopping list of violations that could jeopardize her license to practice law. I don’t want to be accused of extortion or blackmail. I want to say, “You overcharged me by using AI and billing as if you had done the work yourself. I expect a refund of the unearned hours or I am prepared to file a complaint with the State Bar.”

“What if she replies, ‘don’t threaten complaining to the Bar because that is blackmail, and you’ll find yourself in trouble.’” 

The answer is, yes, Ben can say that because threatening to file a complaint with his state’s Bar is not extortion as the basis of the complaint is legitimate. I suggested this direct, yet diplomatic approach:

“As AI was used to generate the material, all I am asking is for a refund of what I was overcharged and nothing more. You know the consequences if I bring this to the attention of the State Bar and I’m telling you that I do not want to do this.”

Lawyers Comment on 2,000 Hour Billing Requirement 

Our story cited the destructive, inhumane requirement of requiring attorneys to bill 2,000-plus hours yearly to keep their job, which translates into expecting high quality legal work over 12 hours day on the job. 

“Utterly impossible,” according to Professor of Psychology at California State University, Bakersfield, Dr. Luis Vega. “This completely unreasonable and unachievable hour total finds decent people caught in a web of corporate greed. While there is individual variation, on average four hours of intense focus is typically the most one can expect per day.”

The response to the 2,000 billable hour issue, from attorneys in the US and Canada, was touching.

From mid-sized to Big Law, lawyers phoned my office after 3 p.m. Pacific which made it 6 p.m. east coast time when most support staff had left for the day. (I ran phone numbers through a reverse look-up service to verify their origin, often seeing a photo and description on their firm’s web page.)

I listened as young lawyers poured out their heart to me, some who had read this column all throughout law school.

YouTube Helps Us Cheat

“When you used the term, sweatshop, that describes our job environment perfectly,” said “Claudia” “Rex” and “Tim” — on speaker — from New York.

Rex felt, “This place is just plain toxic — a prison where we are inmates. When we were in law school and attended the firm’s summer camp, it was all fun, but no one ever told us that, when hired, we would become slaves to the billable hour.”

To Claudia, “You can’t fulfill a 2000 hour billing goal honestly. It is impossible. But YouTube billing tutorials by other lawyers were great — they showed us how to bill creatively, or, in other words, commit billing fraud! (She took me to YouTube sites, where one attorney said, ‘Sure, while you are taking a shower, driving to work, even sleeping, bill the time you are thinking of clients’ cases.”)

“So, when you wrote that the pressure and insane time demands destroys families and leads to being divorced, burnout, depression and substance abuse, you have described most lawyers here, on their second marriage – at least.”

Tim observed: “Many attorneys who have been here several years have ‘I hate this place’ stamped on their forehead. I do not know a single colleague who can claim being happy to come to work, despite the money.

“Not in our pre-law university classes or law school was any of this reality ever discussed. I am looking for a job with the county or city because I do not want to become a static. I want a normal life, dinner with my family, taking our kids out for a trip to the park. I want to be a real husband and father, not someone who is married to the firm!”

“Management Gets It — We’re Going to Change”

One Kansas City (KS) law firm was different.

“Mr. Beaver,” “Monique” said, “your column is very popular here and is frequently discussed in office meetings.  So, when your AI story ran, there was quite a buzz!

“One of the partners called for a meeting and said,  “We should send Mr. Beaver a box of Kansas City steaks! His AI story brought out into the open something we have all been aware of and, I’m sure, bothered by.

“Just so everyone knows, management gets it. We have been exploring old-fashioned ways to bill for services, just like Beaver referenced in his article. Please give us some time. Please trust us to make things better.”