There's a new article in the ABA Journal that at more BigLaw firms, young associates are opting for more time in the office, "being seen", as opposed to flexible schedules and part-time schedules. The reason: layoffs.
This got me thinking about whether face time is really that important. Obviously if you're a "home-office lawyer," then face time isn't important. How about situations like mine, where you're in a small firm or office-sharing arrangement?
I know that for some folks, being seen is as important as the work you're doing. We have one attorney in the office who quite commonly goes into each office at the start of the day to chat. He's the proverbial "social butterfly," and often imparts much wisdom. Another attorney is rarely in the office because of his demanding criminal/family law practice.
Both of these attorneys are quite successful, and each receives a fair number of referrals from attorneys in the office based on their specialties. I believe that your success then isn't necessarily based on the office time you're putting in, but rather, it's based on the connections you're making while you're at or away from your office.
This got me thinking about whether face time is really that important. Obviously if you're a "home-office lawyer," then face time isn't important. How about situations like mine, where you're in a small firm or office-sharing arrangement?
I know that for some folks, being seen is as important as the work you're doing. We have one attorney in the office who quite commonly goes into each office at the start of the day to chat. He's the proverbial "social butterfly," and often imparts much wisdom. Another attorney is rarely in the office because of his demanding criminal/family law practice.
Both of these attorneys are quite successful, and each receives a fair number of referrals from attorneys in the office based on their specialties. I believe that your success then isn't necessarily based on the office time you're putting in, but rather, it's based on the connections you're making while you're at or away from your office.
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