To Our Cravath Community,
I hope all of you have been enjoying the summer. Last week brought a cascade of changes in guidance due to the uptick in virus variants coinciding with pockets of low vaccination. Unfortunately, the reversion to normalcy that was so close with the widespread availability of vaccines in the U.S. and U.K. is still out of our reach. We remain hopeful that the tide will turn soon.
Our New York office has been open with voluntary access for vaccinated individuals since May. Many of you have commented on how rejuvenating it has been to come in and interact with colleagues again, and also to reestablish some boundaries between work and home. London eased restrictions more recently, and we are implementing a policy for our London office akin to what we have done in New York. In light of changing conditions, we are updating our office protocols to require masks in common areas (e.g., the lobby, elevators, stairs and hallways).
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
We had planned for a return to both offices as primary workplace after the U.S. Labor Day holiday. We are now targeting an October 18 return, depending upon conditions and further guidance. When we return, we will continue to limit office access and in-person attendance at events and client meetings to fully vaccinated individuals. Overall, well over 90% of our people are already fully vaccinated. We urge anyone who has not yet been vaccinated to do so.
October will mark more than 18 months since we precipitously “went remote,” and we remain grateful for the incredible effort, resiliency and commitment—to one another and our clients—that each of you continues to bring to these challenging times. We have learned a lot about ourselves and our capacity to adapt during this pandemic. It has been reassuring to discover that technology could enable us to serve our clients with the full measure of excellence they expect of Cravath. Of course, the foundation of the “seamless” transition we were able to make and sustain has been the relationships among our lawyers and staff forged over years of working side by side. That reservoir of professional excellence and teamwork, coupled with the dedication demonstrated by employees across the Firm, continues to carry us through this period of disruption.
We know a big question about returning to the office has been how we will incorporate the personal flexibility many of us have valued in the remote environment with the requirements of a client-centered apprenticeship model. The professional experience at Cravath has never been about facetime or punching a clock, Our clients expect a lot of us, and we show up for them when and where they need us, From the day each of us starts at the Firm, we start making judgments about where we need to be, when we need to be there and for how long. That won’t change when we return, but technology does enable us to be effective and connected even when not in the office, giving us more latitude to be able to do all the things that matter to us, At the same time, we know that being together in the office is a crucial part of how we collaborate, teach and mentor, and how we build the relationships and foster the values that are foundational for our Firm.
We think the right balance is up to six business days of remote work each month. We expect and trust that professionals of the caliber of our people can determine how that should translate into their weekly routine when we are back in the office. Just as in the past, sometimes a week can be more flexible, and other times inflexible—all depending on client and group/team needs, In the spirit of being part of a high-functioning team, flexibility is an opportunity to benefit from the convenience or efficiency of working remotely while maintaining the nexus of the workplace for all of us.
Filevine’s New Legal AI Platform LOIS Turns AI Into A True Legal Coworker
Legal work isn’t slowing down, and the firms that win won’t be the ones working harder — they’ll be the ones working smarter.
Also, at least for this calendar year, the office will be fully remote for the weeks of December 20 and December 27, subject as always to specific client and group/team needs.
When we come back, and adjust to having to dress for the office (and perhaps wear something on our feet other than flip-flops), office attire will be business casual. Of course, where making a court appearance, the rules of attire will remain formal business, and when meeting with clients, judgment should be guided by the etiquette the client follows.
Note that most of our administrative departments will be asked to follow these guidelines on flexibility as well, although some functions will require daily office presence. If your department or group will have a different schedule upon our return, your Manager or Director will reach out to you by Monday, August 16.
I very much look forward to the point at which we can all be together in person, We will communicate updates to this guidance on our return as needed. I wish you and your families a safe and enjoyable remainder of the summer.
Faiza