to
the
office
in
the
new
year…
More
and
more
Biglaw
firms
are
mandating
that
associates
work
from
the
office
four
days
each
week.
The
holiday
decorations
won’t
even
be
packed
away
before
reality
hits
at
the
latest
top
firm
to
announce
an
increased
in-office
attendance
policy
—
or,
in
the
firm’s
words,
“doubl[ing]
down
on
the
power
of
presence.”
Goodwin
—
a
firm
that
brought
in
$2,448,850,000
gross
revenue
in
2024,
putting
it
at
No.
19
on
the
Am
Law
100
—
recently
announced
in
a
memo
viewed
by
Above
the
Law
that
it
will
upping
the
ante
on
its
in-person
attendance
requirement
to
four
days
each
week.
Come
January
5,
2026,
the
firm
will
be
expecting
attorneys
to
be
at
their
desks
Monday
through
Thursday
each
week,
with
Friday
remaining
an
optional
day
to
work
from
the
office
or
from
home.
What
a
way
to
spend
the
new
year….
Thankfully,
Goodwin
seems
to
be
keen
on
flexibility,
and
will
be
removing
personal
attendance
dashboards
for
attorneys,
encouraging
everyone
to
instead
focus
on
“developing
the
habit
of
intentional
engagement
and
getting
the
most
out
of
our
time
with
one
another.”
The
firm
is
also
adding
additional
flexible
options
for
attorneys
in
the
lead-up
to
its
new
policy:
We
recognize
this
is
a
shift,
and
we
want
to
make
the
transition
as
smooth
as
possible.
To
support
you
during
this
time,
we
are
adding
an
extra
work-from-anywhere
week
in
December
between
Christmas
and
the
New
Year.
We
are
also
introducing
Thrive
Back,
a
new
re-entry
program
for
colleagues
returning
from
leave.Flexibility
remains
a
core
value
and
we
appreciate
that
life
happens.
Necessary
focus
time,
medical
appointments,
or
your
child’s
school
play
are
real
human
obligations
–
among
countless
others
–
that
we
make
space
for.
We
are
confident
in
our
collective
ability
to
adhere
to
professional
responsibilities
while
also
managing
the
necessities
of
our
everyday
lives.
Quite
a
few
Biglaw
firms
are
now
requiring
four
days
in
the
office
firmwide,
including
the
likes
of
A&O
Shearman;
Cooley;
Covington; Davis
Polk;
DLA
Piper
(corporate
associates);
Hogan
Lovells; Latham; Paul
Weiss; Ropes
&
Gray; Sidley;
Simpson
Thacher; Skadden; Vinson
&
Elkins; Weil
Gotshal; WilmerHale;
and White
&
Case. Sullivan
&
Cromwell has
taken
its
attendance
policy
one
step
further,
requiring
attorneys
to
work
from
the
office
five
days
each
week.
As
soon
as
you
find
out
about
office
attendance
plans
at
your
firm,
please email
us (subject
line:
“[Firm
Name]
Office
Reopening”)
or
text
us
at (646)
820-8477.
We
always
keep
our
sources
on
stories
anonymous.
There’s
no
need
to
send
a
memo
(if
one
exists)
using
your
firm
email
account;
your
personal
email
account
is
fine.
If
a
memo
has
been
circulated,
please
be
sure
to
include
it
as
proof;
we
like
to
post
complete
memos
as
a
service
to
our
readers.
You
can
take
a
photo
of
the
memo
and
attach
as
a
picture
if
you
are
worried
about
metadata
in
a
PDF
or
Word
file.
Thanks.
Staci
Zaretsky is
the
managing
editor
of
Above
the
Law,
where
she’s
worked
since
2011.
She’d
love
to
hear
from
you,
so
please
feel
free
to
email
her
with
any
tips,
questions,
comments,
or
critiques.
You
can
follow
her
on Bluesky, X/Twitter,
and Threads, or
connect
with
her
on LinkedIn.