Watch the Clock
Despite discussions about alternative fee arrangements and the changing times for the business of law, many clients and law firms still deal with compensation for legal work based on the billable hour. One thing that goes hand in hand with that are billable research hours, and the costs for services used that clients pay in disbursements.
Today’s tip is for the new summer law students and their articling peers: watch the clock.
Efficient gathering of information usually means less time overall spent answering a research question. Fast gathering usually starts with what an expert can tell you about an area of law (yes, a textbook whether it is online, eBook, or print). If your organization charges clients disbursements for using fee based research tools like LexisNexis Quicklaw and Westlaw Canada, make sure you know what model and method is used so that you can keep the gathering costs down.
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