Lawyer Working Remote

Most millennial attorneys are adopting technology that allows them to work remotely. But some observers caution that the easy accessibility of tech could lead to burnout and mental illness among current and future lawyers.

Working remotely is on the rise in the legal industry as law firms take cues from their clients in offering flexible work arrangements. Millennial attorneys entering the workforce represent a significant pivot in how law firms and departments allow lawyers to use technology.

“Millennials came of age without cellphones but came up professionally with cellphones,” said Shannon Murphy, a managing director of MLA Global who consults with Am Law firms. She also noted that Generation Z, who were born after 1996 and aren't quite in the legal profession yet, but are filling law schools, show no sign in slowing down in working remotely. “They don't know another way and are very comfortable connecting digitally.”

Law firms have responded to the growing request to work remotely by switching to cloud-based architectures to allow their attorneys access to encrypted and secure virtual environments, said AbacusNext's chief solutions architect Tomas Suros, who consults law firms on their software.

But such technology is expanding work hours, as lawyers can easily continue their work from anywhere digitally.

“I think there's an awareness that is growing, that the ability to be connected is [so] great, we no longer have to wait by the phone. … At the same time, it can increase the burnout, because you are always available,” said Nicole Leet, an Atlanta-based Gray, Rust, St. Amand, Moffett & Brieske partner and president of the State Bar of Georgia's Young Lawyers Division.

She added, “I think the conversation will shift to stopping the potential burnout.”

Lauren Stiller Rikleen, a lawyer consultant and author of “You Raised Us—Now Work With Us: Millennials, Career Success, and Building Strong Workplace Teams,” noted there is evidence of increased anxiety and depression in young adults. Society, and the legal industry, haven't addressed that working remotely isn't freeing up employees' time, she said.

“We aren't physically wired to not shut down. We don't talk about that; we don't pay attention to that enough,” Rikleen said. “We are starting to see increased data about that. We should be sounding the alarm around this issue.”

While all lawyers face potential burnout from constantly working, those that work remotely may have increased anxiety, Rikleen added.

“I would say the worry comes from the signals they receive,” she explained. “I'm talking with younger lawyers that are working remotely from work … and they get mixed signals from the office about how that will be viewed in the law office.”

She continued, “The message that they get is if you want to be seen as a committed lawyer, you need to be here all the time,” which can be a disconnect from the law firm's or department's written policy.

Christian George, an Akerman office managing partner and president of the Florida Bar's Young Lawyers Division, noted lawyers also face a pressure from clients to be on call.

“There's a pressure that we all feel to be flexible because we feel if we aren't, the client will find someone more flexible,” George said.

For incoming Generation Z, the struggle for work-life balance against the tide of technology and client demands will likely only intensify.

“[The data] suggests that the post-millennial generation will have the same experience as the millennial generation and more so,” Rikleen said. The pressures seem to be more intense, she added.