In the ever-changing workplace for occupiers, the legal industry is not immune to the need to adopt change and address the key challenges facing today’s legal firms. As the world continues to shift in where and how employees work, legal tenants are confronted with unique obstacles that require innovative workplace solutions. In this blog post, we delve into five significant challenges faced by legal firms with their workforce and workplace and explore potential strategies to overcome them.

Supporting seamless transitions between remote and in-person work modes

Post-pandemic, legal firms are still struggling to effectively adapt their in-person and remote work modes to create seamless meetings and workflow between one another. Hybrid professionals—those who work from the office and elsewhere—seek continuity and familiarity within their working environments. One of the main issues for this can be solved by rethinking meeting space with the appropriate room layout, shape, new technology, and furniture designs which provide a more inclusive and natural experience during hybrid meetings. As always, the goal is to maximize employee productivity and the firm’s success as teams continue to adapt to remote and in-person work modes.

Right-sizing client meeting spaces

As the pandemic has upended the traditional M-F / 9-5 model, there has been a severe decline in in-person client meetings at the legal firms’ workplace—and, thus, the need to right-size their meeting spaces. The trend away from on-site in-person client meetings has firms looking closely at and re-evaluating the number and types of meeting rooms dedicated to client-facing events. One proven successful way to do this is by tracking the number of meetings and adjusting; accordingly, for most firms this means reducing the size and quantity of event spaces.

Rebuilding adjacencies in a hybrid environment

Legal firms are faced with understanding the complexities of hybrid work in a way that does not diminish their profitability nor inhibits the firm culture. Legal firms are increasingly utilizing neighborhood approaches to design— to ensure that the efficiency of a hybrid model can be realized without practice groups losing their connection to each other and their business support teams. These approaches create a variety of seating options and increase flexibility by not assigning seats to individuals. Firms that take this approach are leveraging the latest booking technology, such as OfficeSpace, to ensure that individuals can find the team members they need when they visit the office.

Activating sustainability and DEIA goals

Many legal tenants have committed to sustainability and social responsibility goals, and they now need to act. Recent findings from the Commercial Observer highlight that legal tenants are averaging 13% less space in 2023, a nod to be more sustainable.  Additionally, there is a focus on understanding the needed changes in how legal tenants address Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility as a firm. They are creating new spaces and adapting existing ones with neurodiversity at the center of the design, which includes not only updating accessibility standards but also rethinking noise levels, bright lighting, color, texture, and wayfinding. Finally, legal firms are enhancing inclusivity by introducing and incorporating elements that speak to how they support their local communities. 

Retaining and attracting top talent

When reimagining workplace strategies, legal firms’ essence still lies within their established corporate culture. By encouraging collaboration, mentorship, and inclusion, legal firms are not just retaining top talent, they are nurturing a sense of commitment and belonging for both clients and employees. Flexible work arrangements, dedication to work-life balance, and attention to personal and professional development are cornerstones of this cultural shift for the hybrid environment and, importantly, are attractive to new recruits. 

Legal firms are addressing these five challenges in the workplace by changing how they allocate space to different activities, improving their technology offering, and rethinking the design of the space to be more inclusive, accessible, and efficient. Facing these challenges head on with unique and bespoke strategies enables legal firms to maximize their success while strengthening their culture, improving the lives of their workforce, and achieving their sustainability goals.