UTBMS Code A102 — Research/Analyze
Legal research including case law analysis, statutory interpretation, regulatory review, and investigation of legal questions relevant to the matter. This code covers the analytical work that supports legal decision-making.
schedule When This Code Is Used
When attorneys are conducting legal research on case law, statutes, regulations, or other legal authorities to answer specific legal questions or support work product preparation.
warning Common Billing Violations
Billing for research on well-established legal standards that should be within the firm's existing knowledge base
Over-billing research hours that are disproportionate to the complexity of the legal question being researched
Duplicating research across multiple phases: researching the same issue under L120, L240, and A102 separately
Charging for research that was actually performed by a junior associate but billed under a senior attorney's time entry
timer Typical Hours
Simple legal question: 1-4 hours. Moderate complexity: 5-15 hours. Novel legal issue: 15-40 hours.
flag Red Flags to Watch For
A102 research exceeding 20% of total matter hours, suggesting over-research or research inefficiency
Research hours on issues where the applicable law is well-settled in the jurisdiction
A102 entries that do not specify the legal question researched or the outcome of the research
The same legal question researched multiple times across different invoicing periods
check_circle Best Practices for Review
Require that A102 entries identify the specific legal question researched and the conclusion reached
Set research budgets per legal issue and require pre-approval for extended research
Track research hours as a percentage of total billing and benchmark against similar matters
Ensure research performed once is not re-billed when it is applied to later work product
link Related Codes
analytics Key Statistics
Legal research accounts for 15-20% of total billed hours in litigation, with significant variance based on case novelty
Source: Wolters Kluwer Legal Market Insights, 2024
AI-assisted legal research tools reduce research time by 30-50% compared to traditional methods, raising questions about billing hours for research
Source: Gartner Legal Technology Survey, 2024
Frequently Asked Questions
What does UTBMS activity code A102 cover? expand_more
UTBMS activity code A102 covers Research and Analysis activities including legal research, case law analysis, statutory interpretation, and regulatory analysis. It is one of the most commonly used activity codes and should be tracked carefully to prevent excessive research billing.
How many research hours are reasonable under A102? expand_more
Research hours under A102 should typically represent 10-15% of total matter hours. Excessive research often indicates junior attorneys learning at the client's expense or research on well-settled legal principles within the firm's core expertise. Set caps and require research memoranda as deliverables.
What billing violations are common for research under A102? expand_more
Common violations include billing research on well-settled law, duplicative research by multiple attorneys, disguising general legal education as case-specific research, and re-researching issues already addressed in prior phases. Require specificity about which legal questions were researched.