The cover story of the Washington Lawyer this month is The Tyranny of the Billable Hour by Robert Pack. It is not really about methods of alternative billing, but rather the impact of minimum billing quotas on the lives of larger law firm associates and, now, even partners. There was mention of how a firm might require 2400 hours billed per year even though the stated target is only 1900. The firm cannot recruit associates so easily if they were told it is 2400 hours. So they just lie? The difference in one’s family and recreational time between quotas of 1900 and 2400 is staggering. Solos may not find much in this article, but every managing partner should read it. It just doesn’t make much sense to invest all that money into hiring and training associates only to have them burn out or bail out once their student loans are paid. Solutions are not easy. Given the salaries that starting associates are paid at larger firms, they have to generate significant fees.