When I started reading Chapter 4 of Brain Tannebaum's book, I completely agreed with him when he said "I just don't get this 'Do I need an office?' back and forth." I have never been the type of person to go to a Starbucks and study. I found it very distracting and I was never productive like when I am sitting at a desk in a library. I worked at a personal injury firm before starting law school and one attorney was based in a different city than the main office. When he first moved, I was curious how he would make that work without an office. Long story short, the firm ended up renting office space in the city that he lived in pretty quickly.
It makes sense that with technology and how fast laptops are that an attorney might not need a big desktop computer or a huge office to work in. I personally never use my desktop computer but I always have my laptop and IPad with me. My IPad is able to turn into a second screen which makes a huge difference in my productivity. The thought that I always came back to was "what client is going to be satisfied with meeting the attorney who is working on their case in some coffee shop?" After reading Chapter 4, it makes sense that even if you are content and productive working at a coffee shop, you should still have an office, even a small one, solely to show your clients that you are professional and they can trust you with their best interests.
I am working as a law clerk this summer and the firm mentioned that I could work remotely most days, if I wanted to. I immediately declined and asked if I could work in person. They were surprised by my request but agreed and I am grateful. The work that takes place at a firm is fast paced. If I were remote, I would not be in the loop on current cases and helping the attorneys research material they need for a hearing in 30 minutes. The law profession is an incredibly tight-knit group and connections are important. The only way to make connections is to communicate with other attorneys. Renting an office in the business district as Tannebaum suggested can open a variety of doors for networking. If you are a social person, seeing people walking down the street after work everyday can be a nice way to meet new professionals.
Working from home and not having an office has its advantages but in my opinion, you can still work from home if you have an office. If there is a day that you feel like you want to stay home in your pajamas, do it. However, if you have an office space and you decide that you don't want to speak with your client about confidential information in a busy coffee shop, then even a one room office would suffice and reflect your professional reputation.
This post and the prior post highlight how personal the decision is about whether to work remotely (often at home) or in traditional office space (or use an in-between "professional suite" alternative). It may depend on the field of practice.
ReplyDeleteAs an appellate attorney, I have little need for a formal office. A PI attorney or someone who does divorce work may benefit from having a fixed place to meet with clients and prospective clients.
And irrespective of field of practice, some lawyers are more comfortable in a more formal office setting. Others can be productive from anywhere. We need to know ourselves and choose the option that works for us.
It may take a while to figure that out. Some already know because as part-time students they have substantial work experience already on which to base that choice. Others who have gone straight from undergrad into full-time law school may not have that foundation on which to base a decision. Give it time and it will become clearer.
Hi Jessica, I could not agree more with your stance on working in an office. I have had the opportunity to do both now and I find the office environment makes me more productive. I believe co-workers become better acquainted with each other and work is done at a higher level. I now work from home and although it is nice to roll out of bed and hop on my computer, I miss the days of social interaction and feeling more connected to the company you work for.
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