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Legal Economics1 MIN READ

The Billable Hour Is Bifurcating, Not Dying

A widely-cited Sikich analysis this week argues that the billable hour is not collapsing — it is splitting into two distinct economic tracks. The commodity layer (research, first-draft contracts, document review) faces real compression: Clio data shows roughly $27,000 in per-lawyer revenue at risk under hourly billing as AI completes these tasks in minutes. The judgment layer is moving in the oppo

Source: Sikich: The billable hour pricing model in the legal industry won't dieLegal AILaw Firm EconomicsPricing & AFAsPricing