NCJ Number
52312
Date Published
1978
Length
47 pages
Annotation
THE NATURE AND BENEFITS OF ATTORNEY TIMEKEEPING, ITS USES IN ATTORNEYS GENERAL'S OFFICES, DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEM, CONSIDERATIONS IN SYSTEM DESIGN, AND PREPARATION OF TIME SHEETS ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
AN ATTORNEY TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM IS DEFINED AS 'A METHOD OF RECORDING WHICH LAWYER WORKED ON WHICH PROJECT FOR WHICH CLIENT FOR WHAT AMOUNT OF TIME.' AN OFFICE'S OBJECTIVES IN COLLECTING ATTORNEY TIMEKEEPING RECORDS SHOULD LARGELY DETERMINE THE MANNER IN WHICH RECORDS ARE KEPT AND WHAT INFORMATION THEY INCLUDE. THE TIME CARD OR SLIP MADE OUT BY THE ATTORNEY IS SAID TO BE THE HEART OF ANY TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM. PLANNING AND ANALYZING THE WORKLOAD, BUDGET PREPARATION AND JUSTIFICATION, IMPROVED EFFICIENCY, FLEXIBILITY IN ASSIGNMENTS, ATTORNEY EVALUATION, BILLING FOR LEGAL SERVICES, AND COMPUTING ATTORNEY FEES ARE DISCUSSED AS THEY RELATE TO THE USES AND BENEFITS OF TIMEKEEPING. SOME PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH TIMEKEEPING, PARTICULARLY AT THE OUTSET, ARE APPROPRIATE DESIGN FOR A PARTICULAR OFFICE, OVERCOMING ATTORNEY RESISTANCE, INCREASED PAPERWORK, FAILURE TO USE THE INFORMATION IN APPROPRIATE WAYS, PROBLEMS OF COMPUTERIZATION, AND A TENDENCY TO SACRIFICE QUALITY FOR SPEED. IN DISCUSSING THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A SYSTEM, IT IS ADVISED THAT THERE IS NO 'BEST' OR 'MODEL' TIMEKEEPING SYSTEM FOR ATTORNEYS GENERAL'S OFFICES, BECAUSE EACH OFFICE WILL HAVE PARTICULAR INFORMATION NEEDS, WORKLOADS, RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS, AND OTHER UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS THAT DETERMINE THE KIND OF DESIGN REQUIRED FOR A GIVEN OFFICE. THE DESIGNER OF THE SYSTEM, PRETESTING AND EVALUATION, THE INTRODUCTION OF USERS TO THE SYSTEM, AND PROBLEMS TO BE ANTICIPATED IN IMPLEMENTATION ARE DISCUSSED. CONSIDERATIONS IN DESIGNING A SYSTEM AND PREPARING AND COMPILING TIME SHEETS ARE DISCUSSED ALSO IN SEPARATE CHAPTERS. (RCB)