During the quarantine, many lawyers have been working from home to service their clients. Others have taken residence in other locales to “ride it out” while the COVID numbers are high. Living in a different jurisdiction than the one you practice in is a fairly common occurrence in commuter locations such as New York City (where lawyers may work in the city but live in New Jersey or Connecticut), Washington, D.C. (where lawyers may live in Maryland or Virginia), or geographical border towns such as Kansas City.  

Some have raised questions about whether lawyers face any risk from “unauthorized practice of law” rules if they are working in a jurisdiction that is different from their office location (or in which they are not admitted). Most experts have agreed that, as long as a lawyer was affiliated with an office in a jurisdiction in which the lawyer was admitted, and in light of the other restrictions of the pandemic, this remote working likely did not pose an ethical risk. Now there is good news: the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility has weighed in and provided a favorable opinion.