Everyone in the Washington, D.C. area is bracing for what could be a historic snow event. States of emergency have been declared in D.C., Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The federal government will close at noon today. In preparation for possible whiteout conditions, the nation’s second-busiest subway and bus service will shut down entirely for the first time in its 40-year history. Federal and state courthouses are closing early or shuttering their doors in anticipation of the blizzard.
Do you want to build a snowman? You may have to in order to leave your house.
While the rest of humanity readies itself for a snowstorm sure to paralyze the heart of the nation, we wondered what sort of emergency plans Biglaw firms had prepared for their legions of lawyers. What’s to be done when your snow map looks as horrifying as this?
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Considering the high likelihood of treacherous conditions, we’d hope that attorneys wouldn’t be expected to actually remain at their offices this afternoon or show up in person this weekend. But, as we all know, the almighty billable hour is king in Biglaw, so a great number of these firms — if not every single one of these firms — will likely encourage lawyers and staff to use technology to continue working around the clock.
Snowpocalypse be damned, because when you work in Biglaw, your firm likely has three emergency requirements that all employees are expected to fulfill to the best of their abilities: stay safe, stay warm, and most importantly and above all else, stay productive.
We’ve reached out to several preeminent Biglaw firms in the Washington area to see what their emergency plans entailed. Like the federal government, Sidley Austin will be closing at noon. We’ve not heard from the rest yet. In the meantime, if you have any information, please let us know how your firm is preparing for the snowstorm to end all snowstorms. You can let us know in the comments, email us, text us (646-820-8477), or take our survey below (you may select up to two answers). Thank you very much.
Please stay safe out there! Have fun sledding on the Capitol grounds (it’s legal now)!
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