Home -> Law Blog Directory -> Legal News Blogs -> Legal Blog Watch

Legal News

: Legal Blog Watch

Economy Driving More Work/Life Balance at Law Firms

By Carolyn Elefant

Perhaps there's an upside to the downturn after all. As this article, from Working Mother magazine describes, law firms are more willing to accommodate flexible schedules these days -- not necessarily out of noble motives, but because it's financially expedient to do so. The article describes a bunch of changes at law firms, many of which are news to even someone like me who's been tracking this issue since the start of my beat here at Legal Blog Watch. According to the article, of the 50 Best Law Firms for Women, nearly all offer reduced schedules to lawyers, while 62 percent offer full-time telecommuting, and 42 percent have written flexible-schedule policies. Still, I'm a little bit skeptical -- and I wonder how many women are actually taking advantage of those full-time telecommuting options. The article doesn't say. Still, a desire to work fewer hours now coincides with law firms' desire to cut costs. So some firms are allowing lawyers to reduce their hours to a 60 percent schedule and retain full-time healthcare, an arrangement that is preferable to layoffs. At some firms, experienced lawyers are paid by the hour on a project-by-project basis, which enables firms to offer high-quality service...

Full post as published by Legal Blog Watch on August 11, 2009 (boomark / email).