Cravath Lays Out '3.5 Day/Week' Remote Working Model

We may be seeing a consensus emerge.

As firms transition back to the post-pandemic reality we’ve seen 4-day work from the office proposals, 3-day models, and firms willfully oblivious to the potential recruiting nightmare of making everyone come back in full time. Which model would dominate the emerging post-pandemic Biglaw world? The answer may have just gotten a little clearer.

Cravath, the firm the legal world traditionally looks to for everything from bonuses to basic organization, has now spoken when it comes to remote work models. Befitting a firm that always endeavors to lead rather than follow, it’s got an innovative approach that still matches the mood of the moment.

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.

Cravath managed to resolve the 3- and 4-day debate by going with “3.5.” Because 6 days a month is, roughly, a 3-day in office week for half the month and a 4-day week for the other half. But it also comes with the level of flexibility that attorneys require. Models that try to set which specific days attorneys will and won’t be in the office are just going to end in frustration.

On the other hand, too much flexibility may well provide no flexibility at all. A sufficiently busy lawyer may find that “up to 6 days” means “0 days” some months. The push and pull of flexibility and predictability will define the first few months of the new normal.

The memo from managing partner Faiza Saeed hits all the marks in the remote work debate, noting the power of the firm’s tech infrastructure allowing everyone to provide elite work product from home, while also recognizing that years of in-office interaction provided the roots of the seamless transition to remote. With a model allowing attorneys to forge their own schedules balancing time in and out of the office, Cravath thinks it’s got the perfect solution.

Another big reveal in the memo is the decision to go with business casual attire for in-office appearances:

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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.

Cravath targets an office reopening of October 18.

The full memo is reproduced on the next page.


HeadshotJoe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.

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