UTBMS Code A201 — Internal Communications
Communications between attorneys and staff within the law firm regarding the matter, including team meetings, internal strategy calls, and internal emails about case developments.
schedule When This Code Is Used
When firm personnel are communicating with each other about the matter, including scheduled team meetings, ad-hoc discussions, internal emails, and case management communications.
warning Common Billing Violations
Rounding up every brief internal email to 0.3 hours (18 minutes) regardless of actual time spent, padding billing through minimum increments
Four attorneys each billing 0.5 hours for a 15-minute team huddle, quadrupling the actual time spent
Billing for internal administrative discussions about billing, staffing, and conflict checks that should be overhead
Using A201 to capture time spent on new business discussions or marketing that is disguised as case strategy
timer Typical Hours
Brief email: 0.1 hours. Team call: 0.3-0.5 hours per participant. Strategy session: 0.5-1.5 hours per participant.
flag Red Flags to Watch For
A201 hours exceeding A202 (Client Communication) hours, indicating the firm communicates internally more than with the client
Consistent 0.3-hour A201 entries from multiple timekeepers suggesting minimum billing increment abuse
Daily A201 entries from the same timekeeper that seem formulaic rather than event-driven
Total A201 hours exceeding 8% of total matter billing
check_circle Best Practices for Review
Require firms to identify the duration and participants for all A201 entries exceeding 0.3 hours
Cross-reference A201 entries across timekeepers to identify duplicative billing for the same meeting
Cap minimum billing increments at 0.1 hours for brief communications
Establish a maximum A201 percentage of total billing (typically 5-8%)
link Related Codes
analytics Key Statistics
Internal communications account for 3-5% of total billed hours, with email being the dominant communication method
Source: Thomson Reuters Legal Department Benchmarking Report, 2024
Law firms send an average of 15-25 internal emails per attorney per matter per week, creating significant potential for email-related billing inflation
Source: Wolters Kluwer Legal Market Insights, 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
What does UTBMS communication code A201 cover? expand_more
UTBMS code A201 covers Internal Communications including emails, memoranda, and written communications between attorneys within the same firm working on a matter. It tracks the cost of intra-firm written coordination separately from verbal conferences under A105.
How is A201 different from A105 for internal communications? expand_more
A105 covers verbal intra-firm communications like conferences and meetings. A201 covers written internal communications such as emails and memoranda between firm attorneys. Both capture internal coordination costs but distinguish between verbal and written communication channels.
What billing controls should apply to internal communications under A201? expand_more
Set expectations that routine email correspondence should not generate separate billable entries. Challenge entries for 'review internal emails' that suggest basic inbox management. Require that A201 entries describe the substance of the communication, not just 'email to partner regarding matter.'