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Using Activity and Task Codes (LEDES/UTBMS) on Time Entries in LeanLaw

How to add LEDES activity codes and task codes to time entries in LeanLaw — including enabling LEDES on a matter, selecting codes, and making codes required for specific clients.

LEDES (Legal Electronic Data Exchange Standard) codes are uniform billing codes used by corporate legal departments and insurance companies to categorize legal work. LeanLaw supports LEDES/UTBMS activity codes and task codes on time entries for clients that require structured billing.

 

Prerequisites: Enabling LEDES at the Firm Level

Before LEDES codes can be used on individual entries, LEDES must be enabled for your firm:

  1. Click the gear icon ⚙️ and go to Settings.
  2. Scroll down in the left menu and select LEDES to enter the LEDES Billing section.
  3. Enter your LEDES Law Firm ID (required) and LEDES Law Firm Tax ID (required for LEDES 2000 format).
  4. Select the LEDES Code Sets to activate. Default settings enable standard activity codes, expense codes, and litigation task codes.
  5. Save your settings.

📋 Note: If you need a code set that is not listed in the Settings page, contact LeanLaw Solution Engineering team at support@myleanlaw.com. Standard sets include UTBMS activity codes, task codes, and LOC Revised Timekeeper Classification Codes.

 

Enabling LEDES on a Matter

After firm-level LEDES setup, enable LEDES for each matter that requires coded billing:

  1. Open the matter from the Matters tab.
  2. Navigate to the LEDES tab within the matter.
  3. Enable LEDES for this matter.
  4. Optionally: set the LEDES Client Matter ID (provided by your client) and LEDES Law Firm Matter ID.
  5. Set whether activity and/or task codes are Required. When required, entries cannot be saved for this matter without a code selected.
  6. Save the matter settings.

 

Adding Activity and Task Codes to a Time Entry

Once LEDES is enabled on a matter, the Activity Code and Task Code fields appear automatically when you select that matter in a time entry:

  1. Open the time entry form (Create Entry or edit an existing entry).
  2. Select the LEDES-enabled matter.
  3. The Activity Code and Task Code fields appear below the matter field.
  4. Type to search for a code, or click the dropdown to browse available codes.
  5. Select the appropriate code(s) and complete the rest of the entry.
  6. Save the entry.

💡 Tip: Codes can be searched by code number (e.g., A101) or by description (e.g., 'Plan and Prepare'). Typing a few letters of the description is usually faster than browsing the full list.

 

Required Codes

If a matter has Required Codes enabled, the Activity and/or Task Code fields must be filled in before saving. Attempting to save an entry without the required code will show an error. Required codes are set at the matter level — see the steps above for enabling LEDES on a matter.

Required codes can also be set at the client level for all matters under that client:

  1. Open the client record.
  2. Navigate to the LEDES or e-Billing settings tab.
  3. Enable required codes at the client level.

 

Disabling Generalized Codes

If a matter requires specific subcodes (e.g., C310 or C350) rather than generalized parent codes (e.g., C300), you can disable the generalized codes to force timekeepers to select specific codes only. This setting is available in the matter's LEDES tab.