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Law Firm Flexi-Work Options and Implementation Difficulties

Law Firm Flexi-Work Options and Implementation Difficulties

More than ever before, attorneys have greater access to a different flexi-work options in the legal workplace, from in-house departments at massive multinational corporations to prestigious Biglaw firms.  Still, though attorneys are currently living in a sort of “golden age” of workplace flexibility — thanks in large part to rapid improvements in technology and the lifestyle demands of a more diverse workforce — the unfortunate reality is that flexi-work options frequently go unused, or are implemented so poorly that attorneys cannot actually realize the value of these options.

 

In Biglaw, studies show that less than 10 percent of attorneys take advantage of flexi-work arrangements, though the vast majority of firms do implement some version thereof.  Of the attorneys who choose to opt-in, most are women, and these female attorneys tend to be overrepresented when compared to their overall share of the legal workforce.  By contrast, racial minorities and sexual minorities are underrepresented in flex-work arrangements when compared to their overall share of the legal workforce.

 

Fundamentally, the flexibility provided by many firms is being both underutilized and poorly utilized by many firms.  Attorneys — especially women — are often required to shoulder dual burdens of family and career responsibilities.  Flexi-work arrangements, when properly implemented, can allow such attorneys to develop their career while allowing for the flexibility necessary to manage their other responsibilities.

 

Flexi-work arrangements include, but are not limited, to:

 

  • Job sharing
  • Variable start/end times
  • Reduced hours
  • Telecommuting
  • Annualized hours
  • Non-partner track
  • Parental leave options

 

If you are an attorney looking to transition to another firm or to make the move to an in-house position, and you’d like to potentially take advantage of a flexi-work arrangement, the key is not only to identify firms that make flexi-work arrangements available to their attorneys, but also to identify those firms which have developed the proper organizational infrastructure and culture to support such arrangements.  Certainly, you don’t want to end up opting-in to a flexi-work arrangement (i.e., reduced hours) and find that the organizational culture excludes you from a decision-making hierarchy that you would otherwise be.a part of.

 

As you begin your flexi-work oriented job search, here’s a few things to keep in mind.

 

Work With a Legal Recruiter

 

Legal recruiters, like those at Garb Jaffe & Associates, are tapped in to law firms and in-house departments across the breadth industry.  Through these networks, legal recruiters are privy to critical information relating to office culture, firm policy, attorney satisfaction, and trends in the workplace.  As such, by using a legal recruiter, you’ll be given access to in-depth, “insider” information concerning how each of your target firms implements flexi-work options, and whether these implementations are being utilized appropriately by employees.

 

Data is Critical

 

Though most Biglaw firms and in-house departments seem to be well-intentioned and have introduced some form of flexi-work (i.e., reduced hours arrangements, remote work options, job sharing, etc.), it is quite common for such firms to fail to properly implement these flexi-work options.  As a result, many attorneys who would otherwise consider a flexi-work option may shy away from it.

 

From the outside-looking-in it can be difficult to adequately assess the factors that have led to underutilization — or improper utilization — of flexi-work options at a particular firm or in-house department.  A data-driven approach may help clarify the practical “usability” of flexi-work options at a particular firm or department.  For example, if a firm introduced flexi-work options several years ago, but less than 5% of attorneys take advantage of it, then that may be indicative of issues with implementation.

 

Reach out through your legal recruiter if you’re interested in such data (though be aware that the data may be qualitative, rather than quantitative, in nature).

 

Consider Your Career Trajectory

 

Though there are firms that have been known to promote certain flexi-work attorneys (usually reduced hour attorneys) to partner, and in-house departments may be willing to promote the odd flexi-work attorney here and there to a management position, it is generally true that moving to flexi-work can slow down your career growth somewhat.  Of course, this might be a perfectly reasonable sacrifice if you have other responsibilities that you’re trying to balance, or if you simply have no interest in climbing the career ladder.

 

If you’re interested in learning more about how to manage your career trajectory as an attorney while adopting a flexi-work arrangement, make sure to consult with an experienced legal recruiter.

 

 

If you are an attorney looking to transition in-house or to another law firm, and you have a particular interest in flexi-work arrangements, speak with a Bay Area legal recruiter at Garb Jaffe & Associates.  We have extensive experience placing attorneys with prestigious law firms and in-house corporate departments across California, and will advise throughout the process to ensure that you secure an ideal placement.

 

Call us today at (310) 207-0727 for a free consultation.

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