2021 Report of the Economic Survey
In This Section
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The bi-ennial Report of the Economic Survey is one of the premier and most sought-after publications of the Association. The Economic Survey’s results are often cited in judicial opinions, analyzed by research firms, and used by law firms. Current AIPLA members can access the Report online - for free! You must log in to access the digital file. When you open the file in PDF, you can display the bookmarks to more easily navigate to the specific information in the Report.
AIPLA 2021 Report of the Economic Survey - Table of Contents
Order a print copy of the Report of the Economic Survey.
We've made a number of enhancements to the 2021 Report based on feedback from members, including the addition of questions regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. As the profession changes over time, we're trying to stay ahead of the curve and capture information that will help our members see how their work experience stacks up with others. Here's what we learned:
The changing landscape of the workplace...
The changing landscape of the workplace...
- The overall percentage of people who worked remotely to those likely to work remotely jumped from 42% pre-pandemic to 81% post-pandemic, and there was a significant shift in remote work for practitioners 35 year and younger (86.4%).
- A small number (7.6%) said their billing rates changed during the pandemic, mostly in the solo practitioner space.
- Even with the pandemic, gross median income increased by two percent.
- From the Law Firm perspective, while many are not contemplating closing locations in 2021 or 2022, more than a quarter are considering reducing their office space.
- The median total billings per attorney dropped in 2020, but is still above 2016 levels.
As always, the Report's format is consistent with previous reports, and includes:
- typical charges for law services,
- typical types of fees for law-service charges,
- typical costs of litigation, and
- characteristics of firms.
Some changes you'll see:
- COVID-19 QUESTIONS: Expanded questions regarding remote work (before, during, and after the pandemic) and added questions about closing or reducing office space as well as impact on summer associates’ programs.
- FILING US APPLICATIONS ABROAD: Revised to streamline responses. Individuals were asked to choose one foreign country and answer all questions in that section based on that one foreign country. Also, a question was added for respondents to indicate if there is a surcharge to clients for handling invoices from foreign counsel.
- COVERED BUSINESS METHOD (CBM) REVIEW: Replaced with the category of PGR/IPR.
- NEW QUESTIONS: Billing rate changes for private practitioners, outsourcing services (replacing two previous questions about outsourcing international filing and annuity payments), and percent change in the firm’s revenue for IP legal services from 2019 to 2020.
AIPLA would like to thank Arlene Neal and Nicholas Camillo, Chair and Vice-Chair of the Law Practice Management Committee, Ryan Dean and John Gorecki, the Economic Survey Subcommittee Co-Chairs, and all of the members of the Committee for their hard work in putting this publication together. We are pleased to continue bringing you this valuable member benefit. We hope that you find the Report a useful reference tool in your practice.
Note: The online edition of the Report is protected from copying, editing, and printing. We know that members may need specific pages for court filings and we hare happy to provide specific pages for such use upon request. If you are in need of specific tables to submit, please contact kdrake@aipla.org, and state the purpose for needing the tables, and the specific tables (page numbers) needed.
Upcoming Events
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2025 AM IP Practice in Japan Pre-Meeting
October 28 to 29, 2025
The Pre-Meeting is open to all and is a great event for networking with colleagues from Japan and other countries. Presentations will be provided by the speakers from AIPLA, the Japan Patent Attorney Association (JPAA), and possibly from the International Association for the Protection of the Intellectual Property in Japan (AIPPI-J), Japan Trademark Association (JTA) and Japan Patent Office (JPO) on a range of topics -
2025 Design Rights Summit
October 29, 2025 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM | CLE calculations pending
Design Rights Summit: Its more than just design patents . Save-The-Date! Registration opens soon. Get insights from leading practitioners from around the world on the latest developments in copyright, trade dress and design patents. In this online age, protecting the appearance of products has never been more important. This program is presented as a pre-meeting to the 2025 AIPLA Annual Meeting. Discounted pricing will be available for those also attending the Annual. -
AIPLA 2025 Annual Meeting
October 30 to November 1, 2025
Join us as we bring IP professionals together to learn and connect. More information coming soon! The 2025 Annual meeting will take place at the Westin Washington, DC, Downtown. Leadership Meetings on Wednesday, October 29. Programming scheduled October 30 - November 1. -
2026 AIPLA Virtual Corporate Practice Institute
January 13 to 20, 2026 | Up to 360 Minutes of CLE
Tuesday, January 13, 12:00 Noon - 5:00 PM - and Tuesday, January 20, 12:00 Noon - 5:00 PM -- The Corporate Practice Institute is a virtual event will take place on the 2nd and 3rd Tuesday of January, and will consist of 60 minute Sessions with 30 minute breaks in between. Each evening will end with an online networking event. Program Coming soon! Special registration rates for in-house corporate practitioners. -
2026 Spring Meeting - San Francisco, CA
May 13 to 15, 2026
We’re excited to welcome you to the 2026 AIPLA Spring Meeting, where innovation, technology, and intellectual property come together to shape the future. San Francisco is ready for your ideas, energy, and passion for IP!