2023 Bright Insight: The 2023 National Legal Sector Benchmark Survey Results

06 WO R K P L AC E C H A N G E S

The size of the firm does impact these expectations. A fourth of firms outside of the Am Law 200 believe that the workplace will end up consistent with their pre pandemic model. These firms are twice as likely as Am Law 100 firms and six times more likely than Global 100 firms to anticipate that changes won’t occur to the workplace. Among Global 100 firms, 38% are planning to make drastic changes— more than twice the rate of other law firms . This willingness to explore more dramatic changes in workplace strategy is in line with larger firms being more flexible with

new associates right now. While first year associates are currently able to work remotely three days or more each week at 23% of law firms, nearly half of Global 100 firms (46%) are allowing that level of flexibility for first years. For most firms, the most common arrangement is for first years to be in the office three days a week and working remotely two days per week, and very few firms are offering either extreme: only 8% don’t allow any remote work currently for first years and less than 6% of firms are allowing first years to work remotely four or five days per week.

How many days a week (on average) are your firm’s first year attorneys working remotely?

All Firms

Global 100 / Am Law 100

58%

60%

52%

40%

23%

17%

20%

18%

8%

3%

2%

8%

8%

0%

1%

4%

0 days remotely 1 day / week remotely

2 days / week remotely

3 days / week remotely

4 days / week remotely

5 days / week remotely

Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research

18 | BRIGHT INSIGHT