Recently, a handful of prominent law firms have implemented formal work-from-home policies in an effort to both appeal to attorneys seeking flexibility and accommodate the ever-changing modern workplace.
Morgan, Lewis & Bockuis, for one, announced this spring that it was launching a formal remote working program for its associates. Launching May 1, associates could opt into the program that would permit them to work remotely up to two days per week. Jackson Lewis also announced—this past spring—that it would permit its attorneys to work remotely on an “as-needed” basis, which fundamentally memorialized an “informal” policy that had been in place for several years. Shearman & Sterling implemented a policy permitting associates and counsel to work remotely two days per month in 2016. Some of these programs, and there are others, have even provided technology such as computer monitors, phones, printers and scanners to assist attorneys in setting up a remote workplace that facilitates maximum productivity and seamless transitions from the firm’s office to the attorney’s home office.
