The onset of COVID-19 reorganized the way law firms operate, triggering a wave of closures, furloughs and salary cuts, even among some titans of the bar. Norms established by century-old firms are being reevaluated, and we now have the opportunity to rebuild, from the ground up, better systems and practices not only in our own lives, but in the structure and operations of our firms.

Legal recruiting has been turned upside-down. Firms are working fully remotely, summer programs were delayed, shortened and eliminated, and the traditional hiring season for future summer associates has been altered. And while the long-standing firms continue to adjust their programs, young firms like mine are finding a new appreciation for the nimble approach that comes when firm culture is still formative, when law firm management is encouraged and supported in developing fresh talent, and when technology is state-of-the-art.

In many law firms in New York City, 2020 summer associate programs are completely virtual. For example, we are running a 10-week virtual program where I work at Selendy & Gay. Summer associate programs, often known for their lavish events and social gatherings, are at their core designed to show law students what it is like to practice law as an associate at your firm. While it is impossible to replicate some of the in-person experiences and interactions that we've grown accustomed to over the years, there are still ways to hold successful, meaningful programs. In fact, this year presents an unprecedented moment to recommit ourselves to that end.

Many summer associates are working remotely on case teams with partners, associates and paralegals, navigating the new normal of virtual case work, brief writing, depositions, arguments and virtual trials and arbitrations. Beyond traditional billable work, some law firms also are staffing each summer associate on various pro bono and public impact cases that the firms are handling. Showing summer associates the cases and causes the firm is passionate about—beyond commercial litigation—gives them more insight into the firm they hope to join. In this way, virtual programs can deliver the most vital elements of their predecessor programs.

Despite some of the limitations posed by remote operations, the need to deliver a sense of community, belonging and interpersonal connectedness is more important than ever. With no playbook in hand for virtual summer programs, we are adapting our options. Can we plan elaborate dinners at iconic dining institutions? Not this year. But does a partner have a spouse who is a professional chef willing to lead a virtual cooking class for summer associates and other attorneys to attend? Why yes, and isn't that cool? These experiences are not the same as those of prior years, but ultimately they don't have to be. They can be personal, functioning to bring people together in their living rooms and kitchens, bonding over our unique, unexpected commonalities, while holding true to the core goals of the summer associate program.

If firms are willing to transform the way they have historically approached summer programming they can still get to know each summer associate, their skills, creativity and ability to work in teams. Summers, in turn, will be able to assess whether a firm is the right place for them to begin their careers. They will meet, perhaps more easily in a virtual setting, the attorneys they would be working with and learning from, get a true sense of the type of work the firm handles on a regular basis, and experience the culture and DNA of the firm.

The impacts of COVID-19, quarantine, and mandatory work-from-home policies will stretch far beyond summer programs. Some of those effects will be positive. Ask most people in the legal industry, especially those who have worked in other sectors, and they'll acknowledge that law firms often lag behind in areas like remote work and IT infrastructure. We now have a chance to reconsider the status quo, and enact new policies and processes that suit our current conditions, many of which may correct age-old practices that haven't served the law firm model for quite some time.

Let's ask ourselves: Could we be utilizing new technologies to save our firms the cost of extensive travel for interviews? Is it possible to conduct on-campus interviews virtually? Would students feel less anxious about interviewing without the burden of cross-country flights and living out of hotel rooms? Could law firms potentially meet more students during OCI if they didn't need to spend the days before and after interviews traveling, while juggling client work simultaneously? The hypotheticals are endless, and so too could be the solutions, if we take the time to consider them. If we are too quick to return to the office, and an imagined sense of normalcy we are so craving, we could miss this rare opportunity to enact better, lasting change.

Peter Van Name is the manager of legal talent and recruiting at Selendy & Gay.