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LEDES Activity Codes, Task Codes, and Expense Codes in LeanLaw

A reference guide to LEDES activity codes, task codes, and expense codes in LeanLaw — including the standard code sets available, how to search for codes, and where to find the full UTBMS code reference.

LEDES billing uses standardized codes to classify every time entry and expense on an e-billing invoice. These codes — activity codes, task codes, and expense codes — are part of the UTBMS (Uniform Task-Based Management System) code set, developed to provide consistent categorization across law firms and corporate legal departments.

 

The Three Code Types

Code Type

What It Classifies

Activity Code

What the timekeeper did — the type of work performed.

Task Code

The phase or area of the matter the work relates to.

Expense Code

The type of expense being billed.

 

📋 Both codes often required: Many corporate clients require both an activity code AND a task code on every time entry. If a client's billing system rejects entries with only one code type, enable both as required in the client's LEDES settings.

 

Code Sets Available in LeanLaw

LeanLaw's default LEDES code sets include:

Code Set

Contents

Standard Activity Codes (ABA)

A-series codes for common attorney activities. Included by default.

Standard Expense Codes

E-series codes for common client expenses. Included by default.

Litigation Task Codes (L-codes)

L-series codes for phases of litigation matters. Included by default.

Project Management Task Codes (P-codes)

P-series codes for transactional and non-litigation matters. Enable if needed.

LOC Timekeeper Classification Codes

Classification codes for attorney roles (Partner, Associate, etc.) per the LOC Revised system. Enable if required by a specific client. Find at LEDES.org.

Custom code sets

If a client requires a non-standard code set not listed above, contact LeanLaw Support at support@myleanlaw.com.

 

Finding and Searching Codes

When adding a LEDES code to a time entry or expense, LeanLaw provides a searchable dropdown:

  • Type to search: Enter the code number (e.g., 'A102') or a keyword from the description (e.g., 'research') to filter the list.
  • Browse the dropdown: Click the dropdown arrow to browse all available codes for the enabled code sets.

💡 Tip: Train timekeepers on the 10–15 codes most commonly used at your firm. Most firms use a small subset of the full UTBMS code library — a quick reference card with the firm's most-used codes reduces the time spent searching during entry.

 

Disabling Generalized (Parent) Codes

Parent codes like C100, C200, C300 represent broad categories — their subcodes (C110, C210, etc.) are the specific activities within each category. If a client's billing system requires only subcodes and not parent categories:

  1. Go to Settings → LEDES.
  2. Enable the option to disable generalized codes.

With this setting on, only specific subcodes appear in the code selector — timekeepers cannot select a parent category code.

 

Full UTBMS Code Reference

The complete UTBMS code library — including all activity, task, and expense codes — is maintained by the Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard organization. For the authoritative reference:

  • Visit LEDES.org for the full code set documentation.
  • The LOC Revised Timekeeper Classification Codes are also available at LEDES.org.