High demand for attorneys is part of the reason South Florida law firms haven't called their lawyers back to the office full-time, and that demand might explain another phenomenon: continuing to pay for half-full offices.

There are likely a few reasons for that: Many firms don't have leases expiring or the ability to negotiate with a landlord in the near future, social distancing has decreased the density of attorneys and staff, and firms may be planning to return to full-time in-office work in coming months and years.

But according to firm leaders, recruiters and law office space consultants, another consideration is that attorneys still aren't receptive to office hoteling, wherein employees reserve desks or workstations before they arrive instead of having assigned offices. Hot-desking is a similar strategy that permits employees to use any open desk, forgoing the reservation component.