Firm Dynamics

I actually like coming into the office on days where the office is technically closed, but when there's a good probability that there will be a quorum of attorneys around. Everyone's laid back and dressed in jeans (as opposed to business casual clothes). It's a lot quieter and I can feel pretty confident that no one's going to spontaneously pop into my office asking me to do yet another thing I don't want to do. There are just enough people around so it doesn't feel lonely, and yet, it's still quiet enough to get work done.

But these days also bring to light the fact that any fun or social atmosphere derived from our workplace truly comes from the staff. The chit-chat in the hallway, the cheerful "hello's," and the steady traffic mostly derives from the non-attorneys. Without them, we're quiet hermits walled up in our offices, plugged into the network writing briefs, researching on Lexis or drafting e-mails. I wonder if the staff knows that they are the life and verve of the firm.