SECOND-HAND FOMO - It’s a sure sign that summer’s winding down when ardent defenses of law firm office work begin to beckon through the trees. As Law.com International’s Habiba Cullen-Jafar reports, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s decision to increase the number of days it expects its lawyers to be in the office has reignited the debate about hybrid working across the legal industry. The move puts Freshfields at the more conservative end of Big Law policies in the U.K., but some stances are hardening towards more office time. And many partners across the market share sympathies with Freshfields’ move, as they fear lawyers on the more junior end of the scale are not getting the necessary exposure needed to prepare them for their careers ahead. Siobhan Lewington, managing director of legal recruitment agency, Fox Rodney, said this is something she’s been hearing frequently from other lawyers. “Partners are constantly speaking about concerns that associates are not getting the correct exposure and experiences,” she said. “They are missing out on key interactions, and are keen to address this issue by encouraging being in the office more.”
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“It is a testament to the greatness of this country and state that I have been selected to serve in the judicial branch of government. But no matter where I went, the 1894 flag was already there—a haunting reminder that a wrong never righted touches us all.”
