In addition to the cheer and goodwill brought on by the holiday season, it can also be a scheduling nightmare, particularly at Biglaw firms. You see, just because lawyers want (well-earned) time away from their computers doesn’t mean the matters they’re working on suddenly go dormant. So each practice group or matter team has to devise a schedule to figure out who is responsible for responding should a deal/case/project blow up over the holidays. But what happens when everyone wants the same days off?
Well, at most firms that means some junior associate(s) holiday plans are ruined, a move generally chalked up to dues paying. But this year at the Biglaw firm of Osborne Clarke, partners took a different route. The firm — ranked 139th on the 2020 Global 200 ranking and 23rd on the UK 100 — played Santa when almost an entire group requested the same time off. As reported by our friends at Roll on Friday, partners at the firm took the bullet for junior associates and provided the necessary coverage and let the younger attorneys have the holidays free from the burdens of work:
At the top of the Christmas tree is a group of Osborne Clarke partners who have put Santa to shame, as far as their associates are concerned. “All fee-earners in the team bar one requested the full two weeks off for Christmas”, an OC lawyer told the RollOnFriday Firm of the Year 2021 Survey (which is open now, do take it below). A scheduling disaster bound to leave several lawyers disappointed. Except “the partners’ response was that they would provide all cover for our matters for that period. We were blown away”.
Why Better Financial Acumen is the Key to Law Firm Success in 2025
From training to technology, uncover the essential steps to futureproof your law firm in a competitive market.
That’s a pretty meaningful way to thank associates for all their hard work.
Kathryn Rubino is a Senior Editor at Above the Law, and host of The Jabot podcast. AtL tipsters are the best, so please connect with her. Feel free to email her with any tips, questions, or comments and follow her on Twitter (@Kathryn1).