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

glass walls to provide natural light to the interior of the office. An extension of pre pandemic trends, the democratization of offices has been continuing with more and more firms choosing to utilize single-sized offices. Even those with different sized offices tend now to only have two—one for partners and one for associates. In recent years, single-sized office layouts have been shrinking from the 200-250 sf range to 125-150 sf. This tightening is partially possible because expectations for storage have lessened meaning effective offices just need ample space for an attorney and comfortable work seating for two visitors. • The law firm office of the future will be a flexible mix of space that allows attorneys to complete focus tasks while also providing options for small team meetings, one-on-one mentoring, and socialization. Hoteling is being explored by a growing number of firms, but dedicated offices remain the norm, especially for firms that want attorneys in

the office three or more days per week. When hoteling is being utilized, it is more frequently for support staff, for attorneys in their first three years or for attorneys who are in the office very infrequently due to remote work and work-related travel. • Non-dedicated administrative staff space is growing more common as firms look to manage costs and maximize efficiency. In some cases, workstations have been replanned as resource centers, which offer flexible space for administrative assistants, paralegals and other project specialists to work closely together. The number of attorneys supported by each support staff member has continued to increase, so these workstations are now moving from specific practice offices to being centrally located in the office. Given the effectiveness of remote work, and the fact that staff may support attorneys in different cities, some firms are moving administrative and support office space to entirely different, lower-cost submarkets.

In recent years, single-sized office layouts have been shrinking from the 200-250 sf range to 125-150 sf.

THE 2023 NATIONAL LEGAL SECTOR BENCHMARK SURVEY RESULTS | 21