About task and activity codes
Expense and activity codes are types of Uniform Task Based Management System (UTBMS) codes, which are used to classify legal work. UTBMS codes can help prevent block billing and assist in reporting and auditing in LEDES invoices.
UTBMS codes are organized into these categories:
- Expense codesare used to classify expenses. Almost all clients require expense codes. For example, a law firm administrator could select E101 (copying) to charge a client $ 0.10 for 400 copies ($40).
- Task codesare sets of codes, each unique to a type of work performed, that can be used to identify what the timekeeper was doing when working on a particular task. Many clients require task codes for at least some types of work. For example, a lawyer could select L240 (Dispositive Motions) in the Litigation task code set for “1/1/2020/.6 hours/Research regarding duty to warn for summary judgment motion” in her time and billing system.
- Activity codesidentify the specific activity performed by lawyers and other legal staff and, unlike task codes, are not unique to types of work. Few clients require activity codes. For example, a lawyer could select A102 (Research) for “1/1/YYY/.6 hours/Research regarding duty to warn for summary judgment motion” in their time and billing system.
A Tracker company can require your law firm to submit LEDES invoices that specify a UTBMS (Uniform Task Based Management System) activity code for each fee line item. This provides the company with additional details to track spending on specific matter-related tasks. A company’s choice of requiring activity codes produces more information than just requiring task codes.
Activity codes are intended to be used in conjunction with task codes. Activity codes are used to report what activity was being done when a timekeeper was working on a particular task. Some activity codes are applicable to multiple task code categories. Others are intended to only be used for discovery and e-discovery tasks.
Activity code basics
Activity codes begin with A and are followed by three digits. The most essential group of activity codes are: A101 (plan and prepare for), A102 (research), A103 (draft/revise), and A104 (review/analyze). Other activity codes are used to categorize communications tasks by party, such as A105 (internally within legal team); A106 (client); opponents, A107 (other party/other outside lawyers); A108 (other external); A113 (witnesses); or A114 (experts).
Jackson EW-UTBMS litigation J code set
Tracker lets you select from the activity codes specified by the EW-UTBMS Civil Litigation Code Set (J-Codes) specification. These activity codes are nearly identical to the 2013 LEDES Oversight Committee Revised Activity Codes.
Activity code | EW-UTBMS activity codes | 2013 LEDES oversight committee revised activity codes |
|---|---|---|
A105 | Communicate (internally within legal team) | Communicate (within legal team) |
A107 | Communicate (Other Party(s)/other outside lawyers) | Communicate (opponents/other outside counsel) |