May I bill you? Law firm protocal.

cartoon lawyer has a non-billable circular file
trash talks: not billable, not worthy

May I kill you?

When I saw the title I had written here a couple of years ago, and was thinking about court, and lawyers…I thought it said, “May I kill you?”

Heh.

One of my best friends worked at corporate law firms, and I was shocked at how…strict and mercenary they are. They really do bill by the minute, and attorneys keep strict records (or at least junior lawyers do)  about every 5 minutes, whether a phone call, coffee, or even a quick trip to the restroom.

(Hey, this is like the pomodoro system, which I’m trying out to write this post! Pomodoro is Italian for tomato, and it’s a tracking timer for school or work to give you time on and off the clock. This is the best-looking one on Amazon, in several colors, and this one is the best modern design. Here’s an instruction book, but it’s pretty simple. There are free apps for phone or device, too!)

Some businesses pay law firms hundreds of dollars an hour. And THAT’s why lawyers are so expensive.

Here’s hoping you don’t need many.

And here’s how to buy this or any law cartoon for powerpoint, law journals, newsletters, books, etc.

ID #n3530        Caption: (signs in law office on desk and trash can read Billable, Not billable.)

Donna Barstow

Donna Barstow

Syndicated cartoonist in the New Yorker, LA Times, Harvard Business Review, Slate, textbooks, papers. Columnist for 10 years in Psychology Today. Set painter in studio Art Depts. Member Scriptwriters Network, script analyst. Author, 2 hardcopy books, Barnes & Noble Calendar.