Biglaw Firms Remain Mum On COVID-19 Vaccination Policies

Thus far, only one firm has mandated vaccination in order for employees to return to the office.

As the coronavirus crisis rages on across America, with deaths having reached more than 503,000 as of the time of this writing, Biglaw firms still 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.

Thus far, only one Biglaw firm has stepped forward with a definitive course of action. At the end of January, Davis Wright Tremaine was the first Biglaw firm to announce a formal COVID-19 vaccination plan. While the firm is encouraging all employees who are eligible to be vaccinated to do so as soon as possible, only those who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed to enter the office or to attend firm-sponsored events. In the future, DWT will require proof of vaccination, and 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.

With the month of February now almost over, other firms are now coming foward to announce their “likely” vaccination plans, if they have any plans at all — that is, the firms are not likely to mandate vaccination for employees to be able to return to their offices. The American Lawyer has the details:

Few Am Law 200 firms are mandating that their attorneys and staff get COVID-19 vaccines as the legal industry gears up for an expected return to the office by the second half of the year.

Fish & Richardson, McGuireWoods, Stoel Rives and Shook, Hardy & Bacon have said they will likely not require proof of vaccination as a condition to returning to their offices. Firms such as Proskauer Rose and Debevoise & Plimpton have yet to decide.

What’s the hold up here? Perhaps it’s just “too soon.” Mimi Moore, a labor and employment partner at Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner, thinks it may be a tad early for law firms to say that they’re in favor of mandatory vaccination, especially given the vaccine shortages in some areas of the country.

In the meantime, some firms like Stoel Rives are offering paid time off as a way to encourage employees to get vaccinated, while others like McGuireWoods will be tracking vaccinations in order to set up certain thresholds for a return to the office.

Which firm will be next to announce its vaccination policy? This is a matter of employee health and wellness that’s far too impotant for Biglaw firms to remain silent on for much longer. The Biglaw world is impatiently watching and waiting.

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For Now, Few Firms Are Committing to Mandatory COVID Vaccination [American Lawyer]


Staci ZaretskyStaci 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.

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