The end of the COVID-19 pandemic is nowhere in sight yet, but it's already becoming evident that there could be some lasting repercussions for the legal industry long after the business shutdowns and stay-at-home orders associated with the virus resolve. For law firms, corporate legal departments and tech providers alike, the biggest change could be adapting to a legal ecosystem that is more interconnected even as its workforce becomes increasingly distributed.

"I don't think that there's a return back to normal. I think that the way we do our daily business will change fundamentally," said Tomu Johnson, of counsel at Parsons Behle & Latimer and CEO of the firm's tech subsidiary, Parsons Behle Lab.

The most obvious of those changes may already be evident to lawyers currently working from home due to the COVID-19 outbreak, which may have prompted a realization that long-term remote working is both technologically viable and perhaps a more wallet-friendly alternative to large office spaces. Johnson thinks it's possible that the physical law offices of the future could be used primarily to accommodate essentials such as client meetings and certain paralegal work.

If law firm leaders are on the fence about permitting attorneys to work from home more regularly, they may be given a compelling reason to change their stance. "If [lawyers] are frustrated with the overhead and the partners aren't doing anything about it, we'll start to see movement of attorneys to other firms, to their own firms, in order to create something that satisfies them with regards to the overall costs," Johnson said.

Law firms aren't the only inhabitants of the legal ecosystem bracing for a future that involves working outside of the office. Legal technology consultant Zach Abramowitz thinks that corporate legal will be looking to "future-proof" against other scenarios that necessitate remote working by adopting workflow or collaboration tools in the vain of enterprise or practice legal management software. These allow users to perform tasks related to legal service requests, invoice approval and contract review, among other things.

"I do think it's true that for better or for worse, legal departments are thinking that 'OK, maybe this is the time to get a little more tech-dependent,'" Abramowitz said.

That sentiment may be gaining traction inside law firms as well, where the sheer volume of COVID-19-related inquiries coming in from clients across multiple industries could be enough to earn some solutions a permanent place in a lawyer's tool kit. Document assembly software, for example, uses templates or past work to generate new contracts and other legal forms. Rapidity has taken on new value as firms' corporate clients look to communicate ongoing business developments around the virus to employees and vendors.

According to Johnson, attorneys who have been using similarly automated tools to assist clients with employee or vendor communication during the COVID-19 crisis are already asking about how automation can continue to be leveraged after the pandemic has been resolved.

"I think truly that conversation is probably being had around the country because of this crisis, and we're going to see a lasting impact and a lasting demand for automation in the legal field," Johnson said.

This may hold true even after the initial wave of COVID-19 inquiries has passed and firms are focused squarely on survival. Will Norton, CEO of signing and closing technology provider SimplyAgree, framed automating processes as a way firms can cut costs and bolster efficiency in a competitive environment.

"On either side of the coin, I think you see automation come into play when there's a downturn and then there's only more and more of a need as business picks up and you want to increase your bandwidth," Norton said.

Speaking of increasing bandwidth, the sudden surge of COVID-19-related work could also streamline the way that attorneys share information. Josias Dewey, a partner at Holland & Knight, said his firm implemented a knowledge management system pertaining specifically to the virus to avoid duplicating efforts in the midst of so many overlapping client requests. Lawyers can upload any relevant legal information they uncover while working a case, thereby saving someone else the legwork moving forward.

Other firms have implemented similar platforms in the past, only to struggle with employee buy-in. Dewey thinks that the intensity of the COVID-19 situation may have pushed some skeptics to turn a corner.

"These are the types of things that in ordinary times, people may just not see the value of them. Under these circumstances people appreciate the value and they see it as almost a Godsend. So those folks I think will be converted moving forward," Dewey said.

Keeping that goodwill intact could be crucial for legal tech companies. Liam Brown, chairman and CEO of Elevate, believes platforms will be designed with an eye toward better collaboration among and between law firms, corporate legal departments and law companies.

"It's going to be easier to use and more people will actually get on the bus and use, whereas last year people were still saying, 'I refuse to change the way that I work.'" Brown said.