Full-time associates that have been with a firm for a couple of years should be producing 1600 - 1700 billable hours per year. If your firm does litigation - 1800+ billable hours. Some practice areas such as estate planning/elder law - range in the 1500-1600 hour area.

The starting place is setting expectations. During interviews with associate attorneys at client law firms I ask - what is your billable hour goal/expectation, etc. Frequently I am told that they have no idea or they tell me that they think that the expectation is such and such. Other times they advise me that the firm simply does not have a billable hour expectation. Of course the partners tell a different story and can't believe that their associates are not clear on billable hour expectations.