"The billable hour requirements at most law firms make taking time off from work more difficult for lawyers than it is for other professionals. Such requirements necessitate that lawyers bill a certain amount of hours per year regardless of whether they take vacation time. Some lawyers might find it difficult to bill enough hours to satisfy such requirements if they take time off."
"Many other professionals do not have anything similar to a billable hour requirement. Indeed, other professionals are assessed more on job performance when they are at work that the total amount of output they generate in a given year. Accordingly, when other professionals take time off, it does not have a significant impact on their ability to meet expectations of employers since their vacation time is not part of their work evaluation."
A 10-day vacation provided a restorative break from legal duties after more than a decade without such extended time off. Travel companions were medical professionals who routinely take longer vacations once or twice a year. Billable hour requirements at many law firms require lawyers to bill a certain number of hours annually regardless of vacation, making time off harder to take. Some lawyers may struggle to bill enough hours if they take vacation and may not want to increase workload to bank hours; bonuses are often tied to billed hours. Many other professions evaluate performance based on job output rather than total annual hours, so vacation does not affect expected evaluation as much. Court appearances, mediations, depositions, and similar obligations often limit lawyers' control over scheduling, and courts or adversaries may be unwilling to adjourn such events.
Read at Above the Law
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