The pandemic has thrown a monkey wrench into law practice models, especially those in law firms. Many firms have allowed employees and members to work from home since 2020 when the pandemic hit, and things have pretty much been in limbo since. Many law firm leaders and managers have returned to the office by this time, but the same has not been true for associates, who have gotten used to the more relaxed working from home conditions. And some sources have argued that the high profits reported by firms while most of their work forces have been working from home undercuts the importance of mandating returns to the office.
That argument was pretty much put to rest last week when Reuters reported that Kirkland & Ellis, one of the world’s largest and most profitable law firms, announced that employees will be expected to work from the office three days a week beginning in late March. Commenters are calling it the “Kirkland Model” and expect that it will become the norm in large firm practice and spur a return-to-the-office policy in coming weeks and months. They also cite government roll-backs of mask mandates and the decline in Omicron cases as providing firms with political cover to mandate return of employees to the office.
To date, Ropes & Gray has joined Kirkland in this effort with a return-to-work policy starting March 1. It is expected that law firms will cite both written and unwritten policies that in-office practices foster teamwork and ensure employee face time with supervisors and managers.
However, the other side of this argument is represented by Quinn Emanuel, which prefers the work-from-home model because it differentiates that firm from competitors. How those expectations will hold up to the competition remains to be seen.
Time will tell. Stay tuned.
