UTBMS Code L320 — Document Review/Production
Review, redaction, bates-stamping, and production of documents in response to discovery requests, including privilege review and privilege log preparation. This is typically the most labor-intensive activity in litigation.
schedule When This Code Is Used
When the legal team is reviewing documents for relevance and privilege in response to discovery requests, preparing privilege logs, redacting sensitive information, and organizing documents for production to the opposing party.
warning Common Billing Violations
Staffing first-pass document review with mid-level associates at $400-600/hour when contract attorneys at $75-150/hour could handle the same work
Billing for document review under both L320 and L380 (Discovery Review), creating duplicative charges for the same activity
Charging attorney rates for mechanical production tasks like bates-stamping that should be handled by litigation support
Failing to use technology-assisted review when the document volume clearly warrants it, generating unnecessary manual review hours
timer Typical Hours
Small production (under 10,000 docs): 40-100 hours. Mid-size (10,000-100,000 docs): 100-500 hours. Large-scale: 500-5,000+ hours.
flag Red Flags to Watch For
Document review rates falling below 20 documents per hour, suggesting inefficiency or padding
Senior attorneys billing for first-pass review that should be handled at lower rate levels
L320 hours that overlap significantly with L360 (e-Discovery) or L380 (Discovery Review) entries
No use of TAR or predictive coding in a review involving more than 50,000 documents
check_circle Best Practices for Review
Mandate use of contract attorneys or TAR for first-pass document review in large productions
Require review efficiency metrics: documents reviewed per hour, per reviewer
Establish that privilege log preparation is billed separately with per-entry tracking
Cross-reference L320 hours against actual production volumes to assess cost-per-document
link Related Codes
analytics Key Statistics
Document review accounts for 58-73% of total e-discovery costs and is the largest single line item in complex litigation
Source: RAND Institute for Civil Justice, 2024
Technology-assisted review reduces document review costs by 50-80% compared to manual linear review
Source: Gartner Legal Technology Survey, 2023
Frequently Asked Questions
What does UTBMS code L320 cover for document review? expand_more
UTBMS code L320 covers document review and production, including reviewing collected documents for relevance and privilege, preparing privilege logs, and producing documents to opposing parties. This is often the single most expensive phase of litigation.
How do you reduce L320 document review costs? expand_more
Implement technology-assisted review (TAR) or predictive coding to reduce manual review volume. Require contract attorneys or junior associates for first-pass review at lower rates. Set per-document cost benchmarks and mandate that privilege review be conducted by appropriately leveled staff.
What are common billing violations for document review under L320? expand_more
Common violations include billing partner rates for first-pass document review, inefficient linear review when TAR should be used, excessive privilege log preparation hours, and block billing review time with production logistics to obscure the actual review rate per document.