Chicago Lawyers Not Sprinting Back Into the Office as Illinois Reopens

Legal Profession Co-Chair Trisha Rich and Executive Partner David Wirt were quoted in The American Lawyer about the status of Chicago law firms returning to work amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. Law firms in Chicago appear to be in no rush to get their lawyers back to the office as Illinois entered into Phase 4 of its reopening plan. That’s partly because, like their counterparts around the country, attorneys and law firm staff in Chicago have adapted very well to remote working. As a result, there’s no real financial pressure to get people back into the office, according to partners based in the Windy City.

“It doesn’t seem like the benefits of getting people back in the office outweigh the risks,” said Ms. Rich.“It’s my perception that law firms aren’t hurrying to become test cases.”

There’s no “hard circle on the calendar” for Chicago employees to return to the office, either en masse or in phases, Mr. Wirt said. “You want to be honest with people. You want to manage expectations properly, and certainly you’re not trying to be coy. You’re not trying to hide it. You just don’t know when it’s going to happen,” Mr. Wirt said.

READ: Chicago Lawyers Not Sprinting Back Into the Office as Illinois Reopens Further