The First Biglaw Firm To Announce A COVID-19 Vaccination Plan
Only lawyers and staff who have been vaccinated will be allowed to enter the office.
As the coronavirus crisis rages on across America, with deaths having reached 427,626 as of the time of this writing, Biglaw firms seem to be employing a wait-and-see strategy when it comes to the vaccination of their workforces. According to CDC guidance, lawyers and legal professionals will be in the next vaccine distribution group, so law firms are quickly losing time to make decisions on their vaccine policies.
Will Biglaw firms require their lawyers and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine? In a brief survey conducted by Above the Law, 49% of respondents said they thought their firms should require vaccination, while 41% said their firms should encourage vaccination, but not require it.
One Biglaw firm has decided to come out as the first to make this important decision for its employees. Will other law firms follow the lead?
Davis Wright Tremaine has announced that once its employees are eligible to get vaccinated, they will be encouraged to do so soon as possible. Thereafter, only those who have been vaccinated will be allowed to enter the office or to attend firm-sponsored events. In the future, the firm will require proof of vaccination. Lawyers and staff members who are unable to be vaccinated due to a disability, advice of a medical provider, or religious beliefs will be able to explore reasonable accommodations with the firm.
“DWT continues to place the health and safety of all of our lawyers and staff as our highest priority. As vaccines against COVID-19 become increasingly available, we are adopting a policy to safeguard the health of our employees and their families, our clients and visitors, and our communities,” said Jeff Gray, DWT’s managing partner. “We believe it is our responsibility to do our part, and we need everyone’s help to be able to get back to more normalized operations as quickly as we can.”
Not only will Davis Wright Tremaine provide paid time off for its employees to receive the vaccine and recover from side effects, if needed, but the firm will also reimburse employees for the cost of the vaccine in the event the government or insurance does not cover it. If the firm is able to do so, in-office COVID vaccinations for lawyers and staff will be offered, just like prior flu shot vaccination clinics that the firm offered.
DWT has asked that all of its employees continue to work from home until vaccines are widely available and significant portions of the population have become vaccinated, unless office work is absolutely necessary. If a lawyer or staff member must come to the office, all firm health and safety guidance must be observed (i.e., mask wearing and social distancing), even if that employee has been vaccinated.
Now that one Biglaw firm has offered reasonable guidance for COVID-19 vaccinations, it’s highly likely that others will announce their own plans — plans that will no doubt echo the one that Davis Wright Tremaine has already rolled out.
Which firm will be next to issue its vaccination policies? The Biglaw world is impatiently watching and waiting.
Earlier: Will Biglaw Firms Require Lawyers And Staff To Get The COVID-19 Vaccine?
Staci Zaretsky is a senior editor at Above the Law, where she’s worked since 2011. She’d love to hear from you, so please feel free to email her with any tips, questions, comments, or critiques. You can follow her on Twitter or connect with her on LinkedIn.
