Biglaw Associates, Partners Need To Change Their 'Selfish' Work Routines Now That They're Expected In The Office

Times are changing for lawyers. Don't get left behind.

onJanuary 30, 2023 at 4:46 PMJanuary 30, 2023 at 3:15 PM

We got into a space [during the pandemic] where we had the ability to be completely selfish for a long time, and it was OK to do so. Unlearning some of those practices as we integrate back into society has been difficult for associates, partners, everyone. The slightest inconvenience feels like world war.

We, as society and the legal industry, are in a position where we need to commit to the change and endure some of the tougher, more inconvenient parts. That is, if they want to maintain a sense of community that brought them to their firm.

— Ru Bhatt, a recruiter with Major, Lindsey & Africa who specializes in associate placement, in comments given to the American Lawyer, on the way that lawyers’ sensibilities and sensitivities have changed since the COVID-19 pandemic. Now that the majority of Biglaw employees are expected to work in the office at least three days each week, a lot of their remote work behaviors must change, and quickly at that.

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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.