Telecommuting for lawyers.In 1996, about 10 percent of the U.S. workforce telecommuted to work, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. June Langhoff, a telecommuting telecommuting, an arrangement by which people work at home using a computer and telephone, transmitting work material to a business office by means of a modem and telephone lines; it is also known as telework. expert. Considering the long hours lawyers and their staff dedicate to work, telecommuting would appear to be an attractive option for law firms This list of the world's largest law firms by revenue is taken from The Lawyer and The American Lawyer and is ordered by 2006 revenue:[1]
A research agency of the U.S. Department of Labor; it compiles statistics on hours of work, average hourly earnings, employment and unemployment, consumer prices and many other variables. found more than half the country's practicing lawyers and judges Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835 Alexis de Tocqueville, a French political scientist, historian, and politician, is best known for Democracy in America (1835). A believer in democracy, he was concerned about the concentration of power in the hands of a centralized government. do at least some legal work at home. For the worker, telecommuting cuts out commuting time and transportation costs. For your firm, workers' improved quality of life may result in lower employee turnover. Telecommuting also has the potential to reduce your overhead costs overhead costs see fixed costs. . For example, a full-time telecommuter A person who telecommutes. See telecommuting. requires no office space, and two part-time telecommuters with staggered schedules can share the same office. In addition, telecommuting attorneys may require fewer support staff. Absenteeism tends to drop because telecommuting employees work while they have ailments that would have kept them at home, says Langhoff. You may avoid the need for a branch office or affiliation with another firm. And if a fire, flood, or other disaster strikes your office, the firm can still be productive while repairs are made. Telecommuting also has disadvantages. You may be uncomfortable with the idea of supervising workers whom you cannot see. Procrastinators and employees easily distracted by children, pets, and neighbors are unlikely to succeed as telecommuters. Workaholics who cannot call an end to the workday may experience burnout Burnout Depletion of a tax shelter's benefits. In the context of mortgage backed securities it refers to the percentage of the pool that has prepaid their mortgage. if they telecommute See telecommuting. . In addition to the personality of the employee, the type of law your firm practices will be a factor in deciding whether and to what extent to institute telecommuting. Are your staff required to attend frequent depositions, not all of which can be held by video conferencing See videoconferencing. (communications) video conferencing - A discussion between two or more groups of people who are in different places but can see and hear each other using electronic communications. ? Would a member of your firm be comfortable meeting with clients at her home? Policy and procedures Nicole Benson Goluboff, chair of an ABA division subcommittee on telecommuting, says a firm should have a written telecommuting policy to ensure that the program is applied fairly. Each telecommuter should sign an authorization that incorporates the policy by reference and details the arrangement, Goluboff says. Among the issues experts say a policy should address are: * What will constitute a "normal" day for telecommuters? What hours are they expected to be working at their home office or available by telephone? * How will telecommuters be kept "in the loop" of firm business? By voice-mail messages or e-mail? By attendance at regularly scheduled staff meetings? * What equipment and software will telecommuters use, and who is responsible for providing and maintaining it? Who will absorb the increased utilities costs at home, the telecommuter or the firm? * What security measures Noun 1. security measures - measures taken as a precaution against theft or espionage or sabotage etc.; "military security has been stepped up since the recent uprising" security will be taken to protect work product and shield electronic--or paper--files at home from a potential breach of attorney-client privilege In the law of evidence, a client's privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent any other person from disclosing, confidential communications between the client and his or her attorney. ? * Who is responsible for ensuring compliance with all applicable zoning, lease, and licensing regulations? * Will the firm extend its liability, theft, and property damage insurance coverage to the home office, or are telecommuters expected to increase their own insurance premiums? * What are the tax implications for the firm and its telecommuters? Because of frequent upgrades, choosing what computer hardware and software to purchase can be a difficult decision. It may be necessary to use a computer consultant to guide your investments. In selecting equipment for telecommuting, ask yourself whether a particular item is likely to be useful over the long term, or if you are only interested in it because of a temporary project you are handling. Among the items you will need to consider are: * The telephone. A telecommuter's work telephone should be separate from the home phone. In addition, a choice must be made between having multiple phone lines or a router device that sends voice, lax, and e-mail communications to the proper receiver. Will an answering machine suffice, or should the telecommuter have voice mail to avoid callers getting busy signals? Should the phone line have conference call capacity? The firm may want to obtain a toll-free firm number to reduce the costs of calls from telecommuting employees. * The fax machine. Is a stand-apart machine necessary, or will a fax modem fax modem n. A modem that sends and receives fax transmissions. allowing the telecommuter to fax from a computer be sufficient? * The computer. Will a desktop computer do, or is the telecommuter also a "road warrior A person who frequently travels with laptop and cellphone. " who needs a laptop or notebook computer A laptop computer that weighs in a range from five to seven pounds. The term originated when laptops were routinely more than 10 pounds, and those that became lighter were placed in a special "notebook" category. In practice, notebook computer and laptop computer are synonymous. ? In either case, e-mail capability will be needed. * A pager. Does the telecommuter need one, and, if so, is a beeper beeper - pager sufficient or should the pager transmit messages? * Remote-access software. Will the firm's telecommuters need to access electronic files stored at the office or operate their office computers from home? Do you need remote-node technology to put telecommuters' home computers on the firm's local area network? * Compression software. Will large computer files need to be compressed and opened at either end of the home-office electronic connection? * Scanning equipment. Will a telecommuter be receiving paper documents that need to be sent to the law firm in electronic format? * Video conferencing equipment. Does the telecommuter take depositions or "meet" with people in remote locations? In addition, a home office requires antivirus equipment (updated regularly) and surge suppressors to protect the firm's files. The following are some sources helpful to attorneys who are considering a telecommuting program. Books * Telecom Made Easy, by June Langhoff (Aegis Publishing Group, Ltd. 1997). * The Telecommuter's Advisor, by June Langhoff (Aegis Publishing Group, Ltd. 1996). * Telecommuting for Lawyers, by Nicole Benson Goluboff (ABA Publishing 1998). * The Virtual Office Survival Book, by Alice Bredin (John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 1996). Web sites * ABA Law Practice Management www.abanet.org/lpm * ATLA ATLA Association of Trial Lawyers of America ATLA American Theological Library Association ATLA American Trial Lawyers Association ATLA Air Transport Licensing Authority (Hong Kong) ATLA Avatar: The Last Airbender NET Law Office Technology and Small Office Practice Section listservs www.atlanet.org/groups * AT&T Telework See telecommuting. Guide www.att.com/ehs/telecom.html * Gil Gordon Associates' Telecommuting Telework and Alternative Officing Web Site www.gilgordon.com * Home Office Computing www.smalloffice.com * International Telework Association and Council www.telecommute.org * June Langhoff's Telecommuting Resource Center www.langhoff.com * Oregon Office of Energy, "Attorneys Discover Telecommuting's Competitive Edge" www.cbs.state.or.us/external/ooe/ cons/attorweb.htm * Pacific Bell's Telecommuting Guide www.pacbell.com/products/business/ general/telecommuting/tcguide/tc-0.html * Telecommuting Today! www.telecommute-now.org Devising a practical telecommuting program takes time and effort. The investment may seem less burdensome if you tally how many hours of your life you have spent traveling between home and the office. Written policy A firm should have a written telecommuting policy to ensure that the program is applied fairly. Peter C. Quinn is editor in chief of the ATLA Law Reporters. He can be reached at peter.quinn@atlahq.org. |
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