Statistical data, if available, usually is superior to antidotal stories of what lawyers charge. Many surveys of hourly rates are done.

Most experts will check if statistical data exists for the "customary rate" charged by lawyers in the jurisdiction involved.  Often such data exists.

For example, the American Intellectual Property Law Association ("AIPLA") commissions a survey of its members every 2 years and it publishes these in what it calls a "Report of the Economic Survey". Rates are collected for 14 geographic areas and by associate or partner. See www.aipla.org for more information. The Surveys are not made available online, but may be purchased.

Examples of  state surveys are those done by the State Bar of Oregon and the Colorado State Bar, which break the rates down by areas of the state. They are available online.

The State Bar of Texas has an exemplar system for surveying attorney fees and reporting meaningful statistics on what lawyers charge and earn. Read a sample of their reports and other information available at the Research  and Analysis Section of the Texas State Bar Office, and delve into the methods the state bar staff's uses to obtain the information.  You will see the power of a large bar harnessed to provide meaningful information on what lawyers charge and earn, as a part of letting lawyers practice law in a business-like way. (We archive some of the Texas material.  E.g., the 2005 survey of lawyer fees in Texas. ).

Lawyers in the District of Columbia are perhaps the lawyers most known for charging what the highest rate the traffic will bear. To know what the competition is charging, lawyers in D.C., often read the yearly survey of attorney fees that is called the Laffey Matrix. It shows attorney fees charged in D.C., and has been available since 1982 from the United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia.  The hourly rates are shown by years of experience, usually categories of  20+ years of experience, 11–19 years,  8–10 years,  4–7 years, 1–3 years, $205; and paralegals/law clerks.

If statistical data is not available, other types may be available and appropriate for the case.

Bucklin's book is a handbook. It's short, readable, and has several forms for use in winning the attorney fee award contest.