Just as video didn’t actually kill the radio star, Joe Skalski of Everlaw says AI won’t wipe out the billable hour. Here’s why it can be good for law firms.

His blog post titled (wait for it!) Joe Skalski Explains Why AI Won’t Wipe Out the Billable Hour (available here), notes that the common refrain is that advanced AI will kill the billable hour. But what if the opposite is true? What if generative AI actually helps law firms serve more clients and deliver value that’s measured in outcomes, not time spent? What if GenAI even helps make firms more profitable?

“Generative AI can make law firms dramatically more efficient by creating capacity for more and better work,” Skalski says. “Firms that resist adoption out of fear of losing billable hours are missing the point. By simplifying routine tasks with AI, the billable hour becomes more valuable to clients, not less.”

So, what is “value engineering” and what does it look like when applied to a law firm financial model? Which billable hours are at risk? And where could alternative fee structures or fixed fees make headway? Check it out here, it’s only one click! If you want to save the billable hour, you need to click!

So, what do you think? Do you agree that AI won’t wipe out the billable hour? Please share any comments you might have or if you’d like to know more about a particular topic.

Image created using DALL-E 3, using the term “robot businessperson looking at a bill quizzically”.

Disclosure: Everlaw is an Educational Partner and sponsor of eDiscovery Today

Disclaimer: The views represented herein are exclusively the views of the author, and do not necessarily represent the views held by my employer, my partners or my clients. eDiscovery Today is made available solely for educational purposes to provide general information about general eDiscovery principles and not to provide specific legal advice applicable to any particular circumstance. eDiscovery Today should not be used as a substitute for competent legal advice from a lawyer you have retained and who has agreed to represent you.