Law offices have undergone a massive evolution within the last few years. Gone are the days of heavy, dark, wood-colored offices. Today’s law offices have more natural light, smaller individual spaces and share many of the same traits of a modern tech office. While law offices have downsized in response to declining revenue and increased IT security and tech expenses, design choices have become more intentional.
Designing more open, well-lit offices is part of the industry’s goal to prepare for a shift in demographics. By 2025, over half of the lawyers in the U.S. will be millennials, Cushman & Wakefield Executive Managing Director Sherry Cushman said.
“For the first time in the history of law, [office design] is a recruiting and retention tool,” Cushman said.
Whereas 10 years ago, firms were simply downsizing the office to reduce expenses, real estate decisions are becoming much smarter. Since law firms often sign leases of 15 years or more, the decisions they are making today are not for current partners, but for future ones, Cushman said.
Cushman has been advising clients to set aside renovation funds each year so when the time comes to consider a build-out, the funding is available and associates will not need to decide between end-of-year distribution profits and designing a modern office.