Working From Home vs. In the Office: NLD Members Weigh In

Ever since wide-scale pandemic restrictions on working in the office were lifted a few months ago, the legal profession has diversified into a motley of different working arrangements — with some lawyers working in the office full-time, some still working at home, and many lawyers falling somewhere in between.

The NLD recently conducted an anonymous survey to investigate our members’ experiences and preferences. Of the 50 NLD members who completed the survey:

• 32% are law students or post-graduates
• 34% are attorneys with 0-2 years in practice
• 22% are attorneys with 2-5 years in practice
• 10% are attorneys with 5+ years in practice

Of the respondents, 56% work at private firms, 18% are solo practitioners, and the remaining 26% work in other sectors including government jobs and public interest firms.

Work Setting Preferences

Fifty-four percent of respondents are currently working full-time or mostly in the office, 32% are working remotely full-time, and 14% have a hybrid schedule.

NLD members seem generally satisfied with their current work arrangements, with an average satisfaction level of 4.0 on a 1-5 scale. However, people working remotely reported the greatest satisfaction levels (4.4), as compared to those working full-time/mostly in the office (3.7) or on a hybrid schedule (4.0).

Regardless of work setting, satisfaction tended to increase with experience in the field. The biggest jump can be seen between 0-2 year attorneys, whose average satisfaction was 3.7, and 2-5 year attorneys, whose average satisfaction was 4.5. Attorneys with 5+ years in practice averaged 4.8 satisfaction, compared to only 3.2 for law students/post-graduates.

One 2-5 year private firm attorney said that working from home allows stressed-out new lawyers to create a stress-reducing environment, resulting in better focus and productivity.

“You can take the moments you need to breath and refresh without feeling like someone is judging you,” the attorney explained. “When working on a difficult case, I sometimes need to walk around and brainstorm; I never felt comfortable doing that in an office because I was afraid it would look like I was just messing around instead of working.”

Many respondents commented that advanced technologies allow for easier collaboration in a remote setting without the added disruptions that occur in a shared physical space.

On the other hand, NLD members also recognize the irreplaceable benefits of working in an office, including colleague interactions and a clearer work-life separation.

“For new lawyers in particular, remote work makes it very hard to get needed face time with the other attorneys in the firm, which I feel is an important asset in the first few years of practice,” said another 2-5 year attorney working at a private firm.

One NLD member who is currently working remotely echoed this sentiment, stating: “It is very challenging for me to reach out with questions by phone or email because I am insecure that my questions are stupid and I don’t want to interrupt the attorneys who are so busy.”

In terms of productivity, 40% of the NLD members said they are most productive at home, 36% are most productive in the office, and 22% reported no difference in productivity based on work setting. NLD members who feel more efficient at home attributed this to a lack of commute, elimination of shared work environment distractions, and a greater sense of relaxation when working from home.

Other attorneys feel most productive in the office, citing greater accountability and lack of home distractions, among other reasons.

“I have a hard time staying focused at home, where there are too many distractions,” said one attorney. “It’s easier to work hard and stay productive at the office when others around you are also working hard.”

Said another attorney, “Working from home is a challenge because there is always something around the house that I am behind on (the laundry, cleaning, etc.), and it is very difficult to ignore those things when I work from home.”

Due to the distinct benefits of working at home and working in an office, many of the respondents praised the advantages of a hybrid schedule. Although only 14% of respondents reported currently having a hybrid schedule, the majority (64%) said that their ideal schedule would be hybrid.

“I definitely miss the social and collaborative environment of the office, but I also do not miss the unproductive hours of commuting,” said a 0-2 year solo practitioner who works remotely but prefers a hybrid schedule. “Best to have a little of both, even if that means sharing offices in the office.”

One 0-2 year attorney who works mostly in the office and has a 45-minute commute says that working from home not only saves money in fuel costs, but it also promotes greater productivity, healthier eating habits, and time to cook and work out during lunches.

“I think everyone should be given a choice,” the attorney said. “Employers should understand and allow for more flexibility instead of providing a one size fits all solution.”