Adapting To Remote Work As A Law Firm [An Insider Look]

Barbara Repandis.

The workspace landscape has changed dramatically since 2020, and law firms sit right in the middle of it.

Adapting to remote work as a law firm means building the technology, policies, and management habits that let attorneys and staff work productively from home or the office while protecting client confidentiality and firm culture.

More firms now run a hybrid model rather than going fully remote or fully in-office. Some were far better prepared to make that switch than others.

While technology matters for any flexible work model, Barbara Repandis, Chief Human Resources Officer at Kelley Kronenberg, says it isn’t a once-and-for-all fix for staff motivation and productivity.

In this article, Barbara shares what she’s learned, including:

• How Kelley Kronenberg handled remote work at the onset of the pandemic
• Building new training and management procedures to keep employees up to date and engaged
• The challenge of mentoring in a remote and hybrid environment
• Whether flexible and hybrid schedules are now the norm in legal work

How did a law firm adapt to remote work?

From SaaS startups to law firms, companies are folding remote and hybrid work into their structures. That involves a lot of trial and error.

As one of the few remote-capable law firms in Florida before the pandemic, Kelley Kronenberg was positioned to adapt fast.

They already had the tools and policies the switch required.

“Thanks to our technology infrastructure and some productivity tools, we managed to start working remotely and be productive from day one, without any hiccups,” Barbara shares.

Tools alone didn’t maintain the company culture or keep employees engaged with the mission and work. The psychological needs of the workforce quickly became the top priority.

To meet those needs, the HR team took action in a few key areas:

• Providing comprehensive training for change management
• Using collaborative communication channels
• Keeping a pulse on team members’ mental health

Transitioning to fully remote work hit newly licensed attorneys harder than some veterans, which created difficulties the firm hadn’t encountered before.

“Managing a remote workforce is becoming kind of the new norm.“ — Barbara Repandis

The challenge of mentoring in a remote and hybrid environment

Younger workers may feel at ease dropping into a video call or a virtual huddle for a mentor session. That can feel overwhelming to later generations.

“Newly licensed attorneys were the ones that were affected the most by the remote environment and felt like they were missing out on the mentoring and training that other attorneys were fortunate to have before the pandemic.”

This is a live issue across the profession, not just at one firm. Concerns that remote work slows junior lawyers’ development have pushed some firms to tie bonuses to office attendance, as A&O Shearman did in early 2025.

Kelley Kronenberg still has a sizable number of remote or hybrid employees. The firm trains its managers to engage with their teams as often as possible, including on out-of-office activities.

Tackling this part of remote work hasn’t been easy, but the results speak for themselves.

“We are getting better day by day. I feel that this reality of managing a remote workforce is becoming the new norm,” Everybody thought that we were going to be out for only six weeks, back in March of 2020. And now we realize that’s not going to happen.”

With shifting timelines, regulations, and multiple policies affecting countless firms, the ones who adapt are the ones who survive.

“We have to get more comfortable with the idea of being flexible and maintaining a culture not only inside the office but also with remote teams,” Barbara points out.

Being flexible requires:

• Relevant, informative video courses for managers
• Investing in collaboration technology
• Consistent reinforcement and touchpoints

The way team leaders judge productivity is moving from managing by attendance to managing by objective. Dr. Wade Larson, Chief Human Resources Officer at “Wagstaff Incorporated,” makes the same case. Read more about it here.

“Returning to the office: I don’t think it was easy for any employer.“ — Barbara Repandis

Are flexible and hybrid schedules the new model in legal work?

Yes, for most firms. Hybrid work has settled in as the legal industry default, and the debate has moved from whether to allow it to how to structure it.

The hybrid model has helped Kelley Kronenberg stabilize its culture and, in turn, its retention.

With people back in the office, the firm can instill its brand identity during onboarding and build a stronger sense of belonging. The data backs the shift. Roughly 88% of law firms now support hybrid work arrangements, and the four-day in-office week has become the common standard.

The exact blend still depends on the firm. Of course, figuring out the suitable hybrid work model differs based on company and industry specifics. What works for a law firm may not work for an educational technology startup, and vice versa.

Whichever mix of remote and in-person work you choose, the hybrid model is here to stay. It’s the new standard in the working world, built around flexibility.

“Flexibility is the key word here. It depends on each company’s DNA.”

Every firm has its own identity, and much of that comes from HR leaders keeping tabs on what their teams need to succeed.

With flexibility being the expectation, it can be hard to know which part of that wide range to focus on.

“It’s about having HR enforcing the proper training and education, as well as identifying the communication gaps. And then coming in and reinforcing that message.”

What law firms should get right first

Three things separate firms that make hybrid work from firms that just tolerate it:

• A written policy people can point to. Unwritten expectations cause most of the friction. Set the number of office days, who it applies to, and how attendance factors into reviews, then say it out loud.
• Deliberate mentoring for junior attorneys. Casual hallway learning doesn’t happen on its own in a hybrid setup. Schedule it. Pair new lawyers with partners and protect that time.
• Space that earns the commute. If people come in four days a week, the office has to be worth it: the right desks near the right teammates, meeting rooms that are actually free, and coordination so teams overlap on the days that matter.

That last point is where the right software helps. OfficeRnD Workplace is hybrid workplace management software that lets employees book desks, reserve meeting rooms, and see who’s in the office on any given day, directly inside Microsoft Teams, Outlook, Google Calendar, or Slack. Collaborative scheduling shows who’s coming in so teams can plan around each other, and workplace analytics show how the space actually gets used so you can adjust the policy over time.

In conclusion

Transparent communication is central to a working hybrid strategy. The right technology makes it possible.

Start a free trial to see how OfficeRnD Workplace can support your hybrid work model.

FAQ

Can law firms work remotely without risking client confidentiality?

Yes, with the right setup. Cloud-based legal software now gives even small firms enterprise-grade security through per-seat subscriptions, covering data protection, secure document handling, and access controls. The security question is about configuration and policy, not whether remote work is possible.

How many days a week do lawyers work in the office now?

Four is the emerging standard among major firms. BCG Attorney Search’s 2025–2026 report found that 68% of major firms operate a four-day in-office model, only 12% require five days, and just 8% offer true work-from-anywhere arrangements.

What’s the hardest part of remote work for a law firm?

Mentoring and developing junior attorneys. Newly licensed lawyers rely on close, informal contact with senior colleagues, and that’s the piece a remote setup can lose. Firms address it by scheduling mentoring deliberately and training managers to check in often.

What software helps law firms manage hybrid work?

Hybrid workplace management software like OfficeRnD Workplace handles desk booking, meeting room scheduling, collaborative planning, and workplace analytics from inside the tools teams already use, such as Microsoft Teams and Google Calendar.

This post is based on a podcast with Barbara Repandis, Chief Human Resources Officer at “Kelley Kronenberg”. To hear this episode, and many more like it, you can subscribe to “FlexWorld: The Workplace Revolution” On Spotify.