As the Covid pandemic finally (hopefully) begins to wind down, 2023 may be the year law firms will need to reach more definite decisions about remote work.
Certainly, law firms have been grabbling with this thorny issue for some time. And policies have been in flux as the pandemic ebbed and flowed. Also, the increased legal workload and shortage of lawyers to handle that load may have forced firms to somewhat reluctantly throw in the towel. They began to let lawyers and associates work where and when they wanted. But when the hot legal market began to cool, firms began to do an about face and require lawyers to be in the office, at least some of the time. But should that be certain days of the week, like Tuesday through Thursday? Should it be every day? Should it be left to the discretion of individual lawyers? Practice groups?
Management needs to think carefully about why and when it wants lawyers in the office and why lawyers, particularly younger lawyers, so embrace remote work.
It is hard to believe that remote work is not here to stay. As the pandemic made clear, technology allows lawyers to work remotely and be just as productive, if not more so, than working in the office. And there are clear benefits, at least to lawyers, from working from home. A good policy takes into account firm needs, firm culture, and the needs and wants of its lawyers. So any analysis of remote policies should start with management appreciating the new reality. Management needs to think carefully about why and when it wants lawyers in the office and why lawyers, particularly younger lawyers, so embrace remote work.
First, two really bad reasons to require lawyers to be in
