As Ropes & Gray ramps up its use of AI, the law firm said its 1,000-plus associates and counsel can now count up to 100 hours of AI experimenting and training toward their annual billing requirements.
The move, part of a firmwide AI training initiative in place since the spring, expands on the firm's decision last year to allow first-year associates to devote up to 20% of their required billable hours – nearly 400 hours – to AI training and simulations.
Some other firms are also allowing limited billable hours credits for work using AI that’s not directly for clients. At Akerman, lawyers since April have been able to get credit for AI-related projects that are “really contributing value” to the firm, said chairman Scott Meyers. He said the firm posts AI assignments on an internal portal for associates to take up or propose their own.
Read more in the latest Billable Hours.
