Law Firm Issues, Trends and Drives
by Ric Pulley, Director of Interior Architecture SmithGroup
In today's business environment, law firms must continue to distinguish their firm and the firm's capabilities in the eyes of your clients. Law firms have a heightened fiscal responsibility to their partners regarding their investment in facilities. Law offices must be flexible enough to meet the evolving demands of technical, functional and programmatic needs of the firm to stay viable. The law firm's image as projected by its environment still needs to reflect the culture and values of the firm.
In an era of increased professional competition, many law offices are not effectively designed to deliver the legal services to today's client. Law firm design and planning continues to evolve with the same complexity as the matters and issues confronted by the variety of practices in your profession. SmithGroup's Interior Architectural Studio is positioned to assist law firms with the essential changes in the workplace that will help maintain a competitive edge.
Competition Driven Efficiency
The goal is to increase the number of attorneys per floor and to respond to the changing demand for support stations. The challenge is to utilize the internal space no longer used by multiple secretaries for more efficient and usable support functions.Both internal factors and external drivers have radically influenced the allocation of facility's resources. Increasing efficiency to respond to increased competition is the key factor in either renovating existing or building new space. With increased use of computers by the associates and partners, many law firms find they rely less on the legal secretary and the role of the secretary is changing and evolving. With the goal to increase the number of attorneys per floor and the changing demand for support stations, the challenge is to utilize the internal space no longer used by multiple secretaries for more efficient and usable support functions.
- Common functions such as conference rooms and libraries are sometimes being moved off the window wall to core adjacent space.
- Firms desire to achieve densities of 700 square feet or less per attorney, with the most competitive firms targeting 600 square feet/attorney.
- Attorney to support staff ratios are targeting 3:1.
- Flexibility is key to creating "universal modules" that can serve varying purposes as practice groups fluctuate in size and location.
Impact of Technology
The Law Library once the bastion of a successful Law Firm, now extensive libraries are being replaced by desktop technology.The integration of technology has had an enormous impact on the law office environment and continues to be a significant driver for change. While previously used only for its business systems and word processing benefits, various new technologies have redefined traditional means of practicing law. Resources that were once available only in print or on diverse and incompatible platforms are becoming accessible to attorneys via their personal computers.
- Extensive libraries are being replaced by desktop technology.
- Document imaging (desktop scanning and archiving) provides a means to electronically access documents and makes it more feasible to work away from the office.
- Document imaging and management has also evolved into a new client service.
- As witness preparation has become an increasingly important tool in the practice of law, so has the use of audio visual equipment for recording and reviewing depositions and practicing courtroom presentations.
Personal Relationships and Teaming
With the emphasis on experience and specialization in the face of increasingly complex matters, clients are demanding more partner time. Meanwhile, recognizing the need to leverage partner time for maximum profitability, some law firms have begun to respond by delivering services through teams of professionals.
- New spatial configurations can be designed to support a team environment.
- Private space for focused work and open areas for group communication and collaboration.
- Support space for the required tools and reference materials is a necessary and complimentary requirement.
- Support space needs to be flexible to change with the business requirements.
- Decentralization of support functions such as resource materials and accounting.
Private Offices
Individual attorney space continues to be private space with perimeter access. However, great distinction in office sizes no longer makes sense for most firms. Churn costs are too expensive, and flexibility is sacrificed when office sizes vary greatly.
- Many firms are moving toward a universal office size for both partners and associates, but this represents a major cultural shift for most firms.
- Offices are generally being reduced in size, with meetings being held in conference and war rooms.
Private and public spaces, the new adjacencies
Conferencing facilities require re-examination whereupon fully dedicated conference center/support floors have been replaced by grouping client meeting facilities in proximity to reception areas.Conferencing facilities have experienced a re-examination whereupon fully dedicated conference center/support floors have been replaced by grouping client meeting facilities in proximity to reception areas. War rooms and internal conference rooms are also spread within the offices, to insure maximum flexibility for both practice and business considerations.
Libraries, containing rows of leather-bound books that were once a firm's showpiece, have been supplemented by technology. More research is being done online or is available electronically, making the new law library a resource center that has close ties to the MIS group. These materials are also being used for training and document control, creating a true information/media research center. Traditional libraries are now utilized more for boutique practice journals not yet available on-line, or for pure image, usually associated within view of client/visitor areas.
War rooms and internal conference rooms are spread within the offices, to insure maximum flexibility for both practice and business considerations.More radical industry developments include small branch offices in response to clients' request their legal consultants be located in close proximity to their clients. Perhaps the best example of this is the growth of law firms in the Silicon Valley. These branch offices tend to offer specialized services that relate to the immediate client base. The migration of branch offices to the West side of Los Angeles to serve the entertainment industry is another significant example. As a result, maintaining the firm culture in these branch environments is another issue with which law firms will have to struggle.
Law Firm Future
An exploration of more creative approaches to client service has become a strategic initiative throughout the legal profession. Many firms have experimented with some degree of flexible work routines, but these will remain largely impractical until all files are fully automated. The idea of creating a "Red Carpet Room" or retired partners suite has been tested as a way of reallocating prime space from retired partners, while still providing prestigious attorney space for the important legacy these partners provide. This environment also provides visiting attorneys a proper work environment and starts to introduce the idea of territory free environments.
Law firm design and planning continues to evolve with the same complexity as the matters and issues confronted by the variety of practices in the profession. It is our goal to explore such new factors and parameters with our clients to understand each firm's unique requirements in terms of business direction, firm culture and marketplace goals.
By understanding a firm's business plans we can assist our clients in aligning business direction with real estate decisions that will support the firm's future growth.
