During
the
height
of
the
pandemic,
Biglaw
firms
were
eager
to
hire
associates
to
work
remotely
—
after
all,
a
talent
war
was
afoot
amid
the
battle
against
COVID-19,
and
firms
were
willing
to
try
anything
to
staff
cases.
Some
firms,
like
Quinn
Emanuel,
even
created
“work
from
anywhere”
policies
for
associates.
But
now,
in
2024,
these
remote
work
policies
are
few
and
far
between,
as
younger
associates
are
being
ushered
back
to
the
office
in
favor
of
hybrid
work
policies
and
face-time
mandates.
These
days,
true
remote
work
programs
are
a
dying
breed.
The
American
Lawyer
has
the
details:
“Firms
are
generally
doing
remote
hires
only
when
they
have
no
choice;
the
only
suitable
candidate
for
a
job
lives
nowhere
near
their
offices,
for
example,”
said
Darin
Morgan,
managing
partner
with
legal
recruiting
firm
Major,
Lindsey
&
Africa.Exceptions
to
that
rule
do
exist,
and
Morgan
said
some
Big
Law
firms
are
continuing
to
permit
full-time
associate
work
schedules
in
cases
where
associates
relocate
to
a
geography
where
the
firm
has
no
physical
presence,
or
if
a
firm
desires
to
hire
an
associate
with
a
specialized
skillset
but
who
doesn’t
live
near
the
office.
Remote
work
arrangements
in
Biglaw
are
now
the
exception,
not
the
rule.
My,
how
quickly
things
change.
But
why
are
law
firms
pushing
for
an
office
presence
for
younger
associates?
It’s
all
about
the
face-to-face
training
and
mentoring,
with
most
early-year
(and
more
experienced)
associates
required
to
spend
time
at
the
office
three
or
more
days
each
week.
One
main
reason
behind
the
current
in-person
push
is
the
desire
to
have
young
associates
exposed
to
onsite
partner
supervision
and
training,
Morgan
said.“I
don’t
think
there
are
many
top-tier
firms
out
there
that
are
still
recruiting
new
or
lateral
associates
to
work
exclusively
on
a
remote
working
basis,”
said
Scott
Yaccarino,
co-founder
of
Empire
Search
Partners.
“Although
there
were
plenty
of
associates,
and
partners,
that
valued
being
able
to
work
on
a
fully
remote
basis,
the
arrangement
was
never
ideal
from
a
training,
development,
and
team-building
perspective.”
Firms
are
still
willing
to
give
remote
associates
a
try,
but
those
who
can
commute
to
an
office
are
preferred.
One
of
those
firms
is
Orrick.
Siobhan
Handley,
chief
talent
officer,
said
that
the
firm
“continue[s]
to
both
hire
full-time
remote
talent
and
consider
requests
for
lawyers
to
move
to
remote
arrangements
when
family
and
other
considerations
mean
they
need
to
move
to
a
market
where
we
do
not
have
an
office.”
Ice
Miller
is
another
firm
that
continues
to
hire
remote
associates,
but
only
if
need
be
and
“under
extenuating
circumstances.”
As
noted
by
managing
partner
Michael
Millikan,
“You
go
where
you
can
find
talent.”
As
for
the
rest
of
Biglaw,
especially
the
most
elite
firms,
remote
work
may
simply
be
a
no-go
concept.
“Remote
work
is
something
that
is
no
longer
embraced
and
it
will
be
very
difficult
for
an
attorney
to
find
a
fully
remote
position
in
Big
Law,”
[Katherine]
Loanzon,
[managing
director
with
Kinney
Recruiting,]
said.
It
sure
was
nice
while
it
lasted.
‘Only
When
They
Have
No
Choice’:
Has
Big
Law’s
Remote
Hiring
Wave
Run
its
Course?
[American
Lawyer]
Staci
Zaretsky is
a
senior
editor
at
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on
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and
Threads
or
connect
with
her
on
LinkedIn.