AI Will Kill the Billable Hour in Law, Anthropic Top Lawyer Says
AI Will Kill the Billable Hour in Law, Anthropic Top Lawyer Says
Publish Date: 2026-03-13 11:34:00
Source Domain: www.businessinsider.com
- Demise of the Billable Hour: Jeff Bleich, Anthropic’s general counsel, critiques the current billable hour practice and suggests it doesn’t align with the evolving nature of legal work, especially in an AI age where tedious tasks can be automated.
- Alignment of Interests: Bleich highlights a conflict between law firms and their clients, wherein firms benefit from more complicated, time-intensive cases, whereas clients prefer efficient resolution.
- Transition to Outcome-Focused Billing: Other panelists, including Damon Hart from Liberty Mutual and Anne Robinson from IBM, express the need for alternative billing methods that focus on outcomes rather than hours worked.
- Acceptance of Legal Services: Bleich acknowledges the continued value of outside law firms but emphasizes the need for a new economic model that better reflects current legal needs and client goals.
- Current Legal Challenges for Anthropic: Anthropic is currently involved in a lawsuit against federal agencies, highlighting the firm’s ongoing need for legal representation despite questioning traditional billing practices.
- Firm Resilience: Bleich praises law firms that resisted Trump’s executive orders, although he refrains from commenting directly on Anthropic’s current lawsuit, reflecting a preference for firms with “spine” in challenging environments.
