Lawyers
are
often
expected
to
spend
an
inordinate
amount
of
time
at
work
billing
hours
and
completing
other
work-related
tasks. As
a
result,
it
might
be
easier
for
lawyers
to
use
work
computers
to
complete
personal
tasks
like
paying
for
bills
and
sending
personal
emails. However,
lawyers
should
try
to
minimize
the
amount
of
personal
matters
they
handle
on
work
computers,
since
attorneys
may
reveal
personal
information
to
bosses
by
using
work
devices
and
may
be
separated
from
work
computers
on
a
moment’s
notice.
One
time,
earlier
in
my
career,
I
was
completing
a
project
that
required
me
to
go
through
files
that
were
stored
on
the
computer
of
a
coworker
who
departed
the
firm. While
completing
this
project,
I
came
across
personal
files
of
the
former
coworker. This
included
family
photos
and
other
similar
items,
which
were
pretty
innocuous.
However,
I
also
came
across
this
person’s
tax
returns,
which
included
some
very
sensitive
information. I
am
not
entirely
sure
how
this
coworker’s
tax
returns
ended
up
on
this
work
computer;
either
the
coworker
used
the
computer
to
complete
her
taxes,
or
she
downloaded
the
tax
returns
onto
the
computer
for
some
reason. Of
course,
I
quickly
exited
the
file
when
I
realized
what
I
was
seeing,
but
other
individuals
who
had
access
to
this
information
might
have
used
it
for
a
variety
of
bad
reasons.
Another
reason
why
lawyers
should
be
cautious
about
using
work
devices
for
personal
tasks
is
that
managers
might
be
able
to
access
those
work
computers
and
see
sensitive
information
stored
on
such
devices.
As
discussed
in
a
previous
article,
workplace
monitoring
is
common
at
many
law
firms. I
worked
at
firms
at
which
coworkers
reported
that
managers
were
using
tracking
software
to
track
productivity
and
how
much
time
was
spent
at
computers
completing
tasks. One
former
colleague
claimed
he
had
firsthand
knowledge
that
a
manager
was
using
a
keystroke
recorder
that
was
able
to
see
all
of
the
typing
done
on
a
computer.
If
such
workplace
monitoring
tools
are
used
at
a
given
firm,
managers
can
have
access
to
personal
information
if
lawyers
use
devices
to
complete
personal
tasks.
In
addition,
it
might
not
be
prudent
to
use
work
computers
to
send
personal
communications
since
this
might
reveal
sensitive
information
that
lawyers
may
not
want
to
share
with
managers.
Another
point
against
using
work
computers
for
personal
matters
is
that
lawyers
can
be
separated
from
work
devices
on
short
notice.
It
is
not
uncommon
for
lawyers
to
immediately
forfeit
their
work
devices
upon
being
terminated
since
managers
want
to
avoid
a
situation
in
which
a
former
employee
hurts
ongoing
projects. When
I
was
an
associate
at
a
Biglaw
shop,
I
used
my
work
computer
to
help
edit
an
academic
article
I
was
publishing. I
figured
managers
would
not
get
too
upset
if
they
found
out
I
used
a
work
device
for
this
purpose
since
this
publication
would
presumably
boost
the
profile
of
the
firm.
When
I
was
separated
from
the
firm,
I
immediately
lost
access
to
the
drafts
of
the
article
that
I
had
saved
on
the
work
computer. Fortunately,
I
knew
that
this
might
happen,
and
had
earlier
emailed
myself
copies
of
the
latest
drafts
so
they
would
not
be
lost
if
I
was
separated
from
my
employer.
However,
lawyers
with
less
foresight
could
lose
substantial
amounts
of
work
if
they
are
separated
from
a
work
device
that
includes
personal
projects.
In
any
case,
lawyers
should
act
like
everything
they
do
on
a
work
device
will
be
reviewed
by
managers,
since
there
is
a
good
chance
that
monitoring
software
is
being
used
at
any
given
firm.
Lawyers
should
also
avoid
using
work
computers
for
personal
tasks
so
they
do
not
need
to
start
from
scratch
if
they
are
ever
separated
from
a
work
device
on
short
notice.
Jordan
Rothman
is
a
partner
of The
Rothman
Law
Firm,
a
full-service
New
York
and
New
Jersey
law
firm.
He
is
also
the
founder
of Student
Debt
Diaries,
a
website
discussing
how
he
paid
off
his
student
loans.
You
can
reach
Jordan
through
email
at jordan@rothman.law.