Many companies have postponed their return-to-office plans, first because of the Delta variant and more recently in response to Omicron. While law firms` return-to-work policies vary from region to region depending on local rules and managing partners` personal philosophies on the subject, it is clear that by recognizing that lawyers and staff can actually be productive and perform a range of tasks from home, most law firms can be permanently altered. Remote work no longer suffers from the same stigma it did not so long ago. Shearman, like most New York businesses, has employees commuting across the border area, she said. “Knowing that you have to be in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays almost guarantees that you will have people in the office,” she said. Law firms that rent office space chose moves over renewals in the first half of the year at levels not seen since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to commercial real estate broker Savills Inc. Like their business peers, leaders of large law firms are looking to increase the number of lawyers and employees in the firm over the coming fall and winter months to maximize all the associated benefits of training and collaboration. “When employees see their colleagues laid off for performance reasons, they tend to double their work instead of looking for another job,” Coffey said. Higher percentages of women than men and lawyers of color than white/Caucasian respondents said they were more worried about missing out on business development opportunities, getting paid less, and being overlooked for certain tasks if they didn`t work in the office at the request of their employer. Women, in particular, were more likely to report positive changes in these categories, and some were also better able to balance work and family responsibilities, the report said. In March 2020, the landscape of legal practice changed forever. With the uncertainty of the coronavirus, lawyers were forced to stop physically going to the office and had to switch to remote work within days. They have had to adapt to new ways of interacting with clients, colleagues and the courts, while overcoming the uncertain challenges posed by personal and family concerns that arise simultaneously at home.
With the advent of the Omicron variant, we are once again faced with uncertainty about what the future holds for face-to-face hearings, conferences, pleadings and trials. The ability to question a witness face-to-face during testimony is a thing of the past in many cases. The connection with our colleagues, even those we proudly call adversaries, is almost a distant memory. More importantly, face-to-face interaction between our colleagues, our employees, our working time together face-to-face has become obsolete. Is this the new normal? What are the best practices for lawyers and law firms that are evolving as we enter a new world on the other side of the pandemic? Business Development: Educational Webinars, Conferences and Networking A spontaneous conversation and discussion about a legal issue among colleagues can teach more than training. In addition, colleagues can learn by observing the work of others and asking questions about their strategies. It is this connection that creates unity and maintains a company`s brand. When evaluating the success of remote work for lawyers, look at it from three angles. those of the law firm, the lawyer and the client. The professional relationship between employees also has a unique influence on the company culture. Legal skills are based on mentoring with experienced lawyers who provide long-term training and on-the-job training to less experienced lawyers. While this relationship is possible in a purely virtual world, some of its benefits may be lost.
Canteen conversations and short questions in passing are outdated in the virtual world and are replaced by more formal methods of communication such as writing an email or calling for help. It may be more intimidating for a new lawyer to ask questions in these circumstances than a quick knock on the door to get a brief moment of the mentor`s time to seek advice.