UTBMS litigation codes: the L100–L500 task list

UTBMS litigation codes group work into five phases: L100 case assessment, L200 pre-trial pleadings and motions, L300 discovery, L400 trial preparation and trial and L500 appeal. Each phase contains task codes. Entries pair task and activity codes when clients require both.

UTBMS litigation codes classify the purpose of work

Task-based billing groups charges by legal task in the Uniform Task-Based Management System (UTBMS). L100 is a phase code, L110 a task code and A101 an activity code. The LEDES Oversight Committee maintains UTBMS.com and updates UTBMS schemas. Sixminute automatically records the day and writes separate task entries with client and matter matching, duration and client-ready narratives.

The LEDES specification separates task, activity and expense fields. Clients set requirements; see the LEDES 1998B fields.

The complete list runs from L110 to L530

The ABA's 29 legal billing task codes appear below with definitions from its authorised spreadsheet. L100 covers case-wide work.

L100 Case Assessment, Development and Administration

• L110 Fact Investigation/Development: Investigating facts, interviewing potential witnesses and reviewing documents to understand the case.
• L120 Analysis/Strategy: Assessing the case and planning strategy, including initial legal research for those purposes.
• L130 Experts/Consultants: Finding and working with experts or consultants and developing reports; excludes expert depositions and trial preparation.
• L140 Document/File Management: Creating and populating document databases or filing systems, including planning and managing that process.
• L150 Budgeting: Developing, negotiating and revising the matter budget.
• L160 Settlement/Non-Binding ADR: Pursuing settlement or non-binding dispute resolution, including mediation and pre-litigation demands.
• L190 Other Case Assessment, Development and Administration: Overall case work outside the other tasks, with use often agreed with the client.

L200 Pre-Trial Pleadings and Motions

• L210 Pleadings: Preparing or reviewing pleadings and related motions, including motions to dismiss, strike pleadings or challenge jurisdiction.
• L220 Preliminary Injunctions/Provisional Remedies: Seeking or opposing interim remedies, including related strategy, papers and hearings.
• L230 Court Mandated Conferences: Preparing for and attending required conferences or hearings, excluding settlement conferences.
• L240 Dispositive Motions: Seeking or opposing judgment on the pleadings or summary judgment, including related papers and hearings.
• L250 Other Written Motions and Submissions: Handling pre-trial motions outside the pleadings, dispositive-motion and discovery categories.
• L260 Class Action Certification and Notice: Handling certification, notice and other proceedings specific to class actions or derivative suits.

L300 Discovery

• L310 Written Discovery: Handling interrogatories, requests to admit and mandatory written disclosures, including related negotiations.
• L320 Document Production: Handling document requests, production and privilege review, including general review of opponents' productions.
• L330 Depositions: Planning, preparing for, attending and summarising non-expert depositions, including scheduling and witness preparation.
• L340 Expert Discovery: Performing deposition-related work for expert witnesses.
• L350 Discovery Motions: Preparing, responding to and arguing discovery motions, including protective orders.
• L390 Other Discovery: Handling less common discovery procedures, including medical examinations and site inspections.

L400 Trial Preparation and Trial

• L410 Fact Witnesses: Preparing examination and cross-examination of non-expert witnesses for trial.
• L420 Expert Witnesses: Preparing examination and cross-examination of expert witnesses for trial.
• L430 Written Motions and Submissions: Handling trial motions and filings, including jury instructions, witness lists and trial briefs.
• L440 Other Trial Preparation and Support: Preparing trial strategy, arguments, demonstrative materials and other trial support.
• L450 Trial and Hearing Attendance: Attending trial, trial-related hearings and conferences directed towards conducting the trial.
• L460 Post-Trial Motions and Submissions: Handling post-verdict proceedings in the trial court, including new-trial motions and fee applications.
• L470 Enforcement: Enforcing or collecting judgments and addressing defences to enforcement.

L500 Appeal

• L510 Appellate Motions and Submissions: Handling motions and other filings before an appellate or reviewing body.
• L520 Appellate Briefs: Preparing and reviewing appellate briefs.
• L530 Oral Argument: Preparing for and arguing an appeal.

Choose neighbouring codes by the work's purpose

ABA definitions distinguish tasks by purpose:

• L110/L120: Investigating facts versus assessing the case and developing strategy.
• L240/L250/L350: Summary judgment versus other pre-trial motions versus discovery motions; dismissal motions belong under L210.
• L130/L340/L420: General expert work versus expert depositions versus trial witness preparation.
• L320/L140: Document production and general production review versus database construction and population.

L190 covers otherwise unclassified case-wide work, L390 less common discovery and L440 other trial preparation. Check outside counsel guidelines for client-specific requirements, as DRI advises.

Pair each task with the activity performed

Activity codes identify actions within tasks. Clients decide whether to require the original ABA activity codes A101–A111:

• A101: Plan and prepare for.
• A102: Research.
• A103: Draft/revise.
• A104: Review/analyse.
• A105: Communicate (in firm).
• A106: Communicate (with client).
• A107: Communicate (other outside counsel).
• A108: Communicate (other external).
• A109: Appear for/attend.
• A110: Manage data/files.
• A111: Other.

The LOC's 2013 revision extends through A128 and changes definitions. Check the required version.

Illustrative entries, with hours in tenths:

• L210/A103, 2.4: Draft motion to dismiss for lack of jurisdiction.
• L330/A101, 1.3: Prepare questioning outline for claimant's deposition.
• L320/A104, 0.8: Review defendant's production for responsiveness to document requests.
• L160/A106, 0.3: Discuss settlement offer and proposed counteroffer with client.
• L240/A102, 1.1: Research limitation defence for summary judgment motion.
• L230/A109, 0.5: Attend court-ordered scheduling conference.

Expenses have separate E-coded lines: E101 is copying. See the expense-code list.

Review entries for five coding mistakes

Match each narrative to its codes using the ABA definitions:

• Split entries that combine distinct tasks under one code (block billing).
• Replace an “Other” code when a specific task code fits.
• Match activity to action: drafting uses A103.
• Code discovery under L300 even during case assessment; phases can overlap.
• Replace “review file” with the document and purpose.

How Sixminute supports task-based litigation billing

Sixminute records the whole working day and writes one entry per task, matched to its client and matter, with duration and a client-ready narrative. Automatic time capture covers every application on the computer, phone calls through the mobile app and meetings from Outlook and Google Calendar.

Computer Event Reconstruction (CER) rebuilds the working day from events produced as the lawyer works, covering every application without integrations. This covers court portals and specialist drafting tools.

Sixminute filters work on the device and sends only what the timesheet needs, with no screenshots or keystroke logging. Setup takes about 5 minutes. Entries stay private to the lawyer, who reviews and edits them before release.

Lawyers using Sixminute spend about 6 minutes a day reviewing and releasing their timesheet into the firm's existing system. The firm applies task and activity codes after release. In Sixminute's tests, lawyers billed 9 to 15% more hours for the same work.

Confirm the client's code set before invoicing

Confirm the required set: ABA or DRI's 2007 insurance litigation revision. DRI removes L190/L390, adds L360 Discovery On-Site Inspections and A112 Travel and moves initial case-assessment research from L120 to L110.

1. Confirm permitted task and activity codes.
2. Load that set into the billing system.
3. Agree codes for recurring tasks.
4. Spot-check catch-all codes, block entries and narratives before submission.