Effects of COVID-19 on Legal Practice

In February 2021 the Internet went wild over a video that surfaced of an attorney on a Zoom call stuck on a cat filter. While it was great for a laugh about the pandemic and the new challenges (and embarrassing opportunities) it has brought, it highlighted how much the profession has had to adapt to the new COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines. Lawyers from all areas of practice are being forced to learn technologies they never had to before and, unfortunately, being unfamiliar with some of them has led to some terribly embarrassing moments.

But technology aside, there have been other changes in legal practice often stemming from legislation being passed in response to the pandemic. New regulations, ordinances, and procedures directly impact the work a lawyer does and the clients they serve. Here are some of the effects COVID-19 has had on legal practice.

Easier Access To Clients

Social distancing made it impossible for lawyers to meet with their clients face-to-face. Although using video conferencing technology comes with a learning curve, it makes it easier to stay in contact with clients and schedule case evaluations. People who have limited access to legal services due to their accident or other circumstances are no longer hindered. This is helpful to personal injury lawyers, for example, whose clients may find travel difficult.

Less Traveling

Before the pandemic, it wasn’t uncommon for attorneys to get on an airplane, take a meeting and then fly back. But with less traveling and the rise of video conferencing, attorneys can continue to provide exceptional client service quickly and efficiently. In fact, negotiating deals can be much more efficient when traveling is taken out of the equation. There is no need to travel to different time zones, only to make sure that everybody is meeting at the same time. That time can be better spent investigating cases on behalf of the client.

Video Conferencing

Virtual hearings have almost become an ingrained part of practicing law and may continue to be a commonly-used practice in the future. Some lawyers like how they can use PowerPoint or can share their screen in Zoom in order to show diagrams, charts, or videos. Depositions have always been allowed to be taken by video but not many lawyers ever used it. The main advantage of a remote deposition is that you save time and money from traveling. Lawyers can take advantage of the breakout room extension in Zoom to separate groups in mediation, too.

However, there has been a lot of concern expressed by lawyers who are reluctant to use video conferencing because of how much persuasion and reading the reaction of others is important to interview witnesses, for example.

Tech Issues

The legal profession now requires more patience and attention to details that never mattered before, such as whether a power cable is available to prevent their device from running out of power. There could be a lag or a blip on the Internet that causes the voice and video to get out of sync or for the image to freeze, or as in the opening example, have it freeze on an embarrassing setting.

Another difficulty that lawyers are facing is that when they are in Zoom meetings they are not physically with their client, so they cannot have private conversations with them the way they could if they were in the same room together. Instead, lawyers have to speak to clients in a private chat.

Document Sharing

More clients and attorneys are taking advantage of email and file sharing applications such as Dropbox and Google Drive to share important documents, such as police reports and photos.

Face-to-face Contact Only When Necessary

There are times when an attorney needs to meet with a client in person. While there may have been no thought given before about shaking hands or disinfecting surfaces, now an in-person meeting requires practicing social distancing, and possibly even meeting outdoors.