Is there value in viewing flexible work as "innovation?" And what if policies over office attendance become subject to the same herd behavior we see around salaries? Have an opinion? Email me here. Want this dispatch in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here.

'Treating People Like Adults' and Remote Work

I was thinking about low-tech innovation earlier this week. On the one hand, it's a way to broaden a subject that's often alienating to many lawyers. People who stop listening when they hear the letters "AI" are more likely to be receptive to a discussion that involves rearranging how personnel are put to work, especially if there's a clear benefit for the client. But on the other hand, you can risk devaluing the concept if you stretch it too broadly.

That said, I'll ask if embracing flexible work qualifies as innovation? It doesn't have an immediate benefit on the client-facing side. But it does seem like we're on the cusp of permanently rearranging how work in law firms gets done. That's significant. At the same time, if we categorize policies that can be summarized as "treating people like adults who can make reasoned choices about where and how to work" as "innovation," what does that really say about the legal industry? Is the bar that low?