The Economics of Law Practice Survey is conducted every three years by the State Bar of Michigan. As referenced by the Michigan Supreme Court in Smith v. Khouri, it is the primary resource used by trial courts to determine attorney fees. The 2014 State Bar of Michigan Economics of Law Practice survey is being conducted between May 1 and May 23. Information provided by attorneys from all practice areas and all firm sizes is important and will ensure that credible and accurate survey results are obtained.
The State Bar of Michigan Economics of Law Practice Survey only happens once every three years, but the survey results get used daily throughout the state in courtrooms, law firms and by lawyers in all occupational areas. The 2014 survey began May 1, and SBM asks every member to participate. This year’s survey has been revamped and streamlined so that it should take no more than five minutes to complete.
In the 2008 Michigan Supreme Court decision Smith v. Khouri, the court referenced the SBM Economics of Law Practice Survey as the primary resource for trial courts in determining attorney fees. It provides the benchmark for more than 50 specific fields of practice by geographic location.
The survey is designed to capture information relevant to the various occupational areas of Michigan attorneys. Private practitioners will be asked questions about their specific practice areas, and those in non-private practice occupations, such as those working in government service, in-house counsel, non-profit organizations, academia, legal services and more, will be asked for information about salaries, benefits, hours worked and job satisfaction.
When members participate in the survey, their privacy will be fully protected and their replies will remain strictly confidential. Results will be reported in the aggregate only—no individual results will be identifiable. The State Bar will not have access to any respondent’s financial information, and attorneys will not be asked to provide a P-number or any other identifying information to take the survey.
The survey will be conducted by a third-party vendor on an independent website. However, to help members find the survey, a link to the survey will be provided on the State Bar website.
To sweeten the pot and make participation in the survey a little more fun, participants will be eligible to enter a drawing for prizes, including an iPad, two $250 gift cards, and two $150 donations to the Access to Justice Fund in the name of the prize winners.
For those unable to take the survey online, a paper survey can be requested by calling SBM Director of Research and Development Anne Vrooman at (517) 346-6410. Preliminary survey results will be available at no cost online in the mid-summer.
