Few law firms, big or small, were prepared for COVID. On March 12, 2020, we said “Oh Dear”; on March 13, we said “Oh No”; and on March 16, “This is a problem.” Illustrating this, here are two reflections of the last 22 months from the small and big firm perspectives illustrating that the pandemic has been an adventure for all.
COVID in a Small Firm
We were fortunate, being located on the second floor of a two-story building with an elevator and private stairwell. Therefore, no worries about crowding during comings and goings. On March 16, 2020, we locked our doors and stopped seeing clients. Staff moved to rotating shifts — one day working at home and the next at the office. We were not set-up for remote work and had to move quickly to buy laptops. Some lawyers came to work daily, some did not. Some staff worked well from home, some less so.
April 2020 was a tough month. We took our cues from Dr. Bonnie, with adaptation as necessary. Surrounding workstations with wicker screens, we assumed the appearance of an exotic eatery. Client meetings were held in our underground parking lot, furtive encounters reminiscent of a spy novel. We set up a meeting room in our dusty stairwell, under a bare light bulb, where spiders and more spy novel references made for conversation. It was not all bad — sometimes we met clients in their sunny back yards.
Our doors remained locked until June 2020, when we “buzzed in” pre-approved clients. We started to accept conveyancing files again. By September 2020, we reached our “new normal” stride. We provided a remote working option for staff and lawyers, but few accepted — our office bubble was an important “non-virtual” hub for our staff and clients.
We continue to adapt according to the latest messages from Dr. Bonnie and WorkSafe BC. We are all “Zoomed-out,” tired of masks and done with hands that stink of cheap gin. But we are proud to be part of this province’s successful resistance. All our staff are all double vaccinated. We still do not have birthday celebrations in the office, or staff barbeques. We have learned that elbow knocks and fist bumps can be meaningful gestures. This law office has changed but is here to stay.
COVID in a Big Firm
The impact of the COVID pandemic as a lawyer in a “big firm” has been, well, interesting and a paradigm shift. When it first hit, everything ground to a halt. Other than a select accounting team, IT team, and our deliveries clerks, no one else was allowed in the office. By all accounts, everyone strove to make “working remotely” work, likely in part for fear the alternative was unemployment. We were lucky and everyone stayed employed.
Gradually, we got use to the remote work thing. Everyone has been dead run busy since. The courts eventually returned to a form of operation. Scheduled conference calls and virtual meetings (MS Teams, Zoom, Google, etc.) defined the days and became increasingly “normal” as everyone grew more adept at them (though at different speeds). Virtual discoveries replaced the fun of a trip to the court reporter’s office, and they actually work. There were, of course, hiccups: court hearings distracted by screaming children, barking dogs, or unmuted typing; virtual meetings interrupted by passing family pets or unwitting spouses. My favourite was the cat marching about the shoulders of co-counsel as he conducted a virtual discovery.
As the pandemic wore on, our office slowly ramped up the number of people who could return: 25%; 30%, 50%, then to 60% (all double vaxed) but now back to 40% (thanks Omicron). The return was often odd as so few people were around to chat in passing or otherwise. Our reception was closed to the public so meeting clients in person became difficult. Only two people to an elevator but with so few in the building, this was never a problem. Virtual commissioning of affidavits made things workable but more complicated. But the single best development at our shop is the travelling coffee cart: each morning it is wheeled through the office offering coffee and treats. Yippee, though this has added to the COVID-19 lbs.
We are not out of this yet but its impact on the practice of law, big and small, is now easier to see. For the most part, we have all adjusted. Virtual hearings, virtual discoveries, virtual meetings, and affidavit commission are all here to stay. What we will all really miss are the personal interactions that no virtual platform can replace.