Homework for all

Of all the findings in our publication’s annual flagship piece of research, Briefing Frontiers Legal IT landscapes 2020, one of the very simplest data points to analyse could also be considered one of the oddest outcomes.

In the closing moments of 2019, law firm leaders reported they believed 42% of their people then regularly worked from home – but they’d like to see over three-quarters enabled with the technology to do that. The arguments about enabling more flexible working leading to improved engagement, retention, and even productivity, were exceptionally well-rehearsed. So, what on earth was stopping them? It turns out one possible answer was not needing to respond to a situation where the alternative was simply impossible.

Of course, firms had certain agile-working policies and processes in place for years before Covid-19. It was not unusual to hear remarks that the trains had become significantly less crowded on a Friday. Many had also gone quite a way down the ‘culturally flexible’ route – a day or even two working from home likely didn’t raise an eyebrow. Perhaps some teams even encouraged it.

Office layouts were increasingly designed to make them increasingly ‘drop in and out’ places. And legal tech on offer was said to be nothing if not ‘mobile-friendly’, helpful for all those taxis nipping across town to catch up with clients.

Read the full feature in Briefing May – It’s the screen team, here.