Law firm IT departments usually field complaints and hear little praise. But that changed when COVID-19 emptied most offices. Suddenly, IT was bestowed with gratitude and patience as lawyers and staffers quickly transitioned to remotely working. However, as more law firms have settled into remote work, expectations and low tolerance for delays have bounced back to pre-COVID levels, IT providers said.

To be sure, IT was faced with an unusually high demand of requests during the early months of COVID-19 lockdowns. But along with increased work requests, more emails from staffers and lawyers noted their appreciation, said McNees Wallace & Nurick’s former chief information officer Stephen Sobotta.