Most
lawyers
would
agree
that
August
is
a
pretty
slow
time
for
the
legal
profession.
Along
with
the
end
of
the
calendar
year
in
December,
August
is
when
lawyers
are
most
likely
to
take
extended
vacations. Some
law
firms
over
the
years
have
permitted
staff
to
work
remotely
during
August
so
that
everyone
can
better
enjoy
slower
work
periods. More
law
firms
should
implement
such
policies
since
they
likely
won’t
have
a
negative
impact
and
can
help
improve
employee
morale.
Typically,
August
has
fewer
court
appearances
than
other
parts
of
the
year. For
instance,
I
had
to
schedule
a
conference
with
a
court
recently,
and
I
learned
that
the
relevant
judge
took
the
entire
month
of
August
off. This
is
not
uncommon,
and
if
judges
take
vacations,
there
are
usually
fewer
court
conferences,
motion
appearances,
and
the
like
that
attorneys
need
to
prepare
for
and
attend
at
the
end
of
the
summer.
In
addition,
other
stakeholders
in
the
legal
profession
also
take
vacations
during
August.
Many
other
lawyers
take
off
during
this
time,
which
reduces
the
amount
of
paperwork
that
is
filed
in
cases
and
minimizes
interactions
between
counsel
that
can
create
work. Moreover,
clients
also
take
off
during
August. Most
people
want
to
take
advantage
of
the
summer
weather
to
do
something
fun,
and
people
generally
understand
that
after
Labor
Day,
individuals
need
to
work
hard
until
the
holiday
season
—
months
away. Accordingly,
August
is
often
the
perfect
time
for
people
to
take
off,
and
if
more
clients
are
on
vacation,
lawyers
should
have
fewer
tasks
to
handle.
Having
a
work-from-home
August
can
be
invaluable
to
attorneys
and
staff. This
can
help
employees
take
time
off
themselves
and
travel
without
needing
to
appear
in
an
office
multiple
times
a
week. Sure,
employees
can
take
time
off
to
be
entirely
off
the
grid
and
travel
to
wherever
they
want. However,
it
is
often
difficult
for
attorneys
and
staff
to
request
significant
vacation
time
due
to
unrealistic
expectations
managers
have
of
employees.
Having
an
institutional
policy
like
a
remote
August
gives
employees
the
flexibility
and
lack
of
shame
they
need
to
do
something
actually
fun.
Having
a
work-from-home
August
can
be
beneficial
to
law
firms. This
policy
can
boost
morale
around
an
office
and
show
attorneys
and
staff
that
law
firms
care
about
them
and
are
willing
to
bend
policies
for
the
benefit
of
employees. Return-to-office
policies
have
not
been
well-received
by
many
lawyers
and
staff. Most
people
believe
that
they
can
complete
their
jobs
just
fine
without
needing
to
trek
into
an
office,
and
requiring
workers
to
come
to
an
office
makes
it
more
difficult
for
employees
to
complete
personal
tasks
and
have
flexibility
in
managing
their
lives.
Many
law
firm
managers
might
think
that
workers
are
more
productive
in
offices,
and
remote
August
policies
might
impact
productivity.
However,
productivity
might
already
be
impacted
by
the
vacations
people
take
in
August
and
additional
leisure
activities
people
usually
pursue
in
the
summer. Accordingly,
more
law
firms
should
promote
work-from-home
policies
during
August
since
this
is
an
otherwise
slower
time
in
the
legal
profession
and
such
policies
can
increase
employee
morale.
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.