Lawyers, Is Remote Work More Than a Trend?

No double entendre intended, but remote work is not going anywhere.

Trends come and go; remote work is here to stay -- as in "stay at home and work." It's a new reality in many professions, including the law.

So if remote work is more than a trend, what is it? The survey says: an industry.

Remote Industry

Laurel Farrera, who once coordinated 500 freelancers across the United States, said "work-from-home" has gone from a curiosity to practically a household word in three years. Companies now target the "wfh" model for products and services.

"As of 2018, remote work, telecommuting and workplace flexibility have officially become a global industry," she writes for Forbes.

And what's good for the global marketplace, is good for lawyers. Most lawyers work in virtual spaces anyway, whether they know it or not.

They research, write, and practice in the cloud. And if they could do it, they would meet clients and appear in court online.

Practicing From Home

The American Lawyer says virtual firms with up to 180 partners are breaking the mold. BigLaw attorneys are going virtual because they like the idea of practicing from home.

"Here, I can really work on matters pretty much at any level I choose to without it becoming cost prohibitive," said Jamal Edwards, who used to work at the 300-lawyer firm of Honigman Miller in Detroit.

These days, an attorney can work from a beach with a smart device and a good internet connection. You may have to show up for mandatory appearances, however, so leave the flip-flops at home.

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