Billable Hour: Adapted from the book, 'Lawtalk'

[Adapted from Lawtalk: The Unknown Stories Behind Familiar Legal Expressions, by James E. Clapp, Elizabeh G. Thornburg, Marc Galanter, and Fred Shapiro (2011) (© 2011 Yale University, reprinted by permission)] Few terms hold more importance for a law firm’s clients or its employees than billable hour–not a real hour, but sixty minutes of work that the lawyer can bill a client for. It is no accident that a popular lawyer joke on this subject made its first written appearance in a major federal case on attorneys’ fees. As recounted by a dissenting judge, An immediately deceased lawyer arrived at the Pearly Gates to seek admittance from St. Peter. The Keeper of the Keys was surprisingly warm in his welcome: “We are so glad to see you, Mr. Smith. We are particularly happy to have you here, not only because we get so few lawyers up here, but because you lived to the wonderful age of 165.” Mr. Smith was a bit doubtful and hesitant. “Now, St. Peter, if there’s one place I don’t want to get into under false pretenses, it’s Heaven. I really died at age 78.” St. Peter looked perplexed, frowned, and consulted the scroll in his hand. “Ah, I…