According to the 2007 Survey Report of Billing Rates & Practices, a new ALM Research (New York) survey of billing information that focuses on small, mid-sized and solo legal practices, female lawyers in smaller firms and solo practices generally bill clients at lower rates than their male counterparts.

According to the 2007 Survey Report of Billing Rates & Practices, a new ALM Research (New York) survey of billing information that focuses on small, mid-sized and solo legal practices, female lawyers in smaller firms and solo practices generally bill clients at lower rates than their male counterparts. The survey includes analyses of billing rates and alternative billing practices based on firm size, geography, practice area, client industry, years in practice and gender. More than 5000 lawyers throughout the U.S. responded to the web-based survey. The average hourly billing rate was $240. The average reported billable hour requirements were 1701 hours for partners and 1755 for associates. In addition, 88% of respondents offered alternatives to the billable hour, while 69% offered variations, including fixed/flat fees and contingency arrangements.