As we move into the second quarter of 2021, the world is slowly emerging from the pandemic. Of course, the pandemic brought about many changes to the way we live and work. Some changes are likely short term. Others will potentially last longer. Law firms and in-house legal departments are increasingly evaluating what the post-pandemic workplace will look like for their teams. Below are predictions about five pandemic-era legal developments that are likely here to stay.

• The Use of Digital Collaboration Tools Will Continue and Grow

Communication and collaboration are at the core of legal practice. Beginning in 2020, many law firms embraced video meeting apps and other digital collaboration tools, such as web-based applications, that allow teams to share documents and information through online portals. In addition to the use of video meeting apps, many law firms and legal departments have also explored team chat apps as part of their remote work ecosystem. In addition to these more traditional collaboration tools, emerging virtual collaboration tech continues to be developed and can assist law firms and legal departments striving to maintain cohesive culture and engagement.

The use of digital collaboration tech is likely to continue even when and if lawyers return to the physical workplace. Indeed, it is likely that law firms and legal departments will continue to explore emerging technology in this space. One example of this emerging tech is the development of "virtual worlds" for work. A virtual world involves a computer-generated, shared online virtual environment. Users of virtual worlds typically interact with each other through avatars, or digital personal representations. Avatars often mimic a user's physical appearance. Users speak with one another using microphones (or phone lines), send messages through the virtual platform, and share documents with one another. The virtual environment can be modeled off of a physical office—each user can have his or her own desk, cubicle, or office, and can "drop in" to chat with other users spontaneously as well as collaborate in scheduled meetings. Often, in a virtual world, the users have a mechanism to note if they are "available" for chatting with other users and, through the users' avatars, the team members can bump into one another to talk by the virtual water cooler. Depending on the technology used, virtual worlds can feel to a user as if they were in a video game-like environment. Expect the use of this kind of tech, as well as more traditional digital collaboration tools, to continue into the future.

• Legal Automation Will Accelerate

Cost containment and predictability were prized in 2020. One area where value and return on investment was realized during the pandemic was through artificial intelligence-enabled content generation and other AI-based tools. These tools have been available on the marketplace for years, but more solidly transitioned from the "hype cycle" to the adoption phase due to the necessities of the pandemic.