Any successful business must keep pace with – and ideally be ahead of – change. Driven by continuous developments in technology; heightened awareness of employee wellbeing; advances in sustainable practices; the pursuit of knowledge sharing; an expanded generational workforce; and the rising impact of real estate costs, today’s law office differs from its predecessors of twenty years ago, ten years ago, even five years ago.
What’s driving this change? Many of the same internal and external forces that affect almost every other workplace.
rivers of change in the legal workplace. Graphic by DLR Group.
Traits of a Progressive Legal Workplace
Today’s law firms have re-engineered the business model to adapt to a transforming workforce that is increasingly agile and competitive. For many firms, the fee basis and compensation model has evolved, and competition is no longer limited to other law firms. While certainly not a one-size-fits-all solution, there are many traits that characterize the latest themes in legal workplace design.
Space Optimization
Real estate is a typical firm’s second largest expense after salaries, so the cost, the quantity, and the maximization of office space remains a keen priority. The Number One target remains fixed on reducing the overall footprint, or allocation of square footage per attorney. While the private office is still en vogue, the size of offices and the amount of dedicated personal space continues to shrink. Frequently, this reclaimed square footage is allocated to common and shared use spaces such as break rooms, meeting rooms, and collaborative amenity space, as well as alternative work venues for both heads-down and interactive work. The physical location of the office is also a focus for potential expense reduction, with many firms opting to vacate what are considered premier locations on the upper floors of Class A towers in favor of lower floors, or less expensive peripheral properties. Additional space optimization targets include incremental contraction in file space, disappearing libraries, and an increased percentage of open office and shared office spaces.
Captured square footage is now reallocated to common and shared use spaces. Graphic by DLR Group.