The billable hour wasn’t built for clients

It started as an accounting fix. Here’s how it took over—and why it’s failing now.

Most lawyers assume the billable hour is “how the business of law works.” It isn’t.

It was never about client value. It was about internal management.

Here’s the short history—and the practical takeaway for your firm.

Before hours: outcomes, relationships, fixed fees

For most of legal history, lawyers charged for judgment and results, not minutes.

• Fixed fees…