As the pandemic stretches on, people in law firms are feeling the strain of uncertainty. Law firms are waffling on return to office plans, child care arrangements remain precarious and the social fabric of firms continues to be stretched thin as attorneys, particularly young ones, feel disconnected from their firms.

After some reprieve in the summer, when vaccination rates were climbing and firms were finalizing return-to-office plans, the emergence of the delta variant has halted progress. Work has not let up either: A study released Wednesday by the Wells Fargo Private Bank Legal Specialty Group found that attorney demand is up 6% year-over-year.