A straw poll of 21 managing partners of New York law firms revealed guarded optimism about hiring trends and demand for legal services in 2011.

Only two of the 21 respondents said they anticipated legal work would decrease next year, while more than 50 percent expected to hire the same number or slightly more first-year associates than in 2010.

The informal poll was conducted earlier this week by the New York State Bar Association at a meeting of managing partners from large, midsize and boutique law firms under the association's Task Force on the Future of the Legal Profession. The Task Force was established in June by state Bar President Stephen Younger of New York (Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP) to study and recommend ways to create a roadmap for future use of technology in the profession. Also, to improve legal education and training, to establish proper work/life balance for attorneys and to analyze the billing structure in law firms.

"One thing was clear from yesterday's dynamic and lively discussion: Whether from firms large or small, they all agreed that the profession is ready for permanent, positive changes that will allow us to better serve the modern client while shaping a profession that is satisfying to today's lawyers and appealing to future lawyers," Younger said.

"Significantly, there was consensus around the table on many issues. Clients want fixed and predictable costs, and lawyers are willing to try alternative billing methods, such as value billing, because this leads to increased efficiency, better-trained lawyers and greater opportunity to achieve work-life balance," he said.

Also in attendance at the meeting was American Bar Association President Stephen Zack, who predicted the practice of law will change more in the next 10 years than in the past 200 years.

Survey highlights include:

• All managing partners who were polled confirmed that their firms had experimented with something other than the billable hours system. Six of the 21 respondents (nearly 30 percent) said their firms "regularly" used alternate billing methods.

• 11 managing partners also said clients complain about having to pay for the work of first- or second-year associates. Two additional respondents said clients refuse to pay for such services.

• 18 said that their firms expected attorneys to respond to non-emergency e-mails and phone calls on weekends and holidays.

• The majority (18 of 21) indicated that their firms offer flex policies including reduced hours, job sharing and flex times. Not surprisingly, more women attorneys took advantage of flex time than their male counterparts.

• 66 percent said their firms hired fewer attorneys in 2010 when compared to more typical years. However, the outlook for 2011 was that a little more than half expected to hire the same number of associates as in 2010.

• 11 participants said they anticipated demand for legal services to remain flat in 2011, but eight of them said workload would increase modestly.

• Of the managing partners who responded, six were from firms of 25 lawyers or less; three were from firms of 26 to 100 attorneys; six managed firms of 101 to 250 lawyers; and six were in firms with more than 250 lawyers.

According to Younger, the Task Force on the Future of the Profession will continue to meet with members and plans to release a report on its findings in 2011.