1. Perspectives on
workplace
Law Firm workplace design:
boost productivity and lower occupancy costs
March 2010
Over the past decade, both the office environment and the legal
profession have experienced major changes that often are not
reflected in office space layout. It may not be practical to rethink
office layouts every time the work environment is affected by a
new technology or a strategic change at a law firm. However, if
office layouts are not reconsidered from time to time, out-of-date
workplaces can become a competitive disadvantage.
The legal profession is subject to the same technological changes
that affect all industries. Cell phones and laptops make work more
mobile, teleconferencing and email ameliorate the effects of physical
distance, and a host of other innovations increase work productivity.
At the same time, changes in the legal profession and at individual
firms also affect workplace strategy.
The lease renewal or relocation process represents a golden
opportunity for a law firm to update its space layout. Comparing
layout scenarios between buildings is an important element in
determining how effectively different buildings can meet the law firm’s
needs. A lower rent per square foot is no bargain if the space can
not be organized efficiently. And even if a firm ends up remaining in
place, knowing the true occupancy costs at competing buildings can
enhance the firm’s negotiation position.
One trend in office space design is to reduce the size of individual
offices and instead provide more collaborative style spaces for client
conferences, litigation rooms, lunchrooms and other meeting spaces.
Increasingly, clients no longer meet with attorneys in their offices,
but in the conferencing areas of the firm. This makes a reduction in
office sizes more practical and acceptable. Increased incorporation of
common spaces has the added benefit of encouraging collaboration
among groups and individuals.
Hand in hand with the trend toward smaller individual offices is the
trend toward standard size offices rather than multiple sizes for every
business level. Standardization enables more efficient use of space,
allows attorneys and staff to be moved from one office to another
more easily, and minimizes the traditional politics of office size based
on an individual’s position in the hierarchy.
Law firms tend to retain the distinction between partners and
associates, as recent data suggests that law firm layouts today
provide an average of about 225 square feet for each partner office
and 150 square feet per associate office. Although universal office
sizes offer the greatest opportunity for efficiency where the ratio of
partners to associates is high, having one standard size each for
partners and associates provides a great deal of standardization and
flexibility in office design as well.
Any analysis of space needs must consider furniture systems,
which can have a significant impact on the efficiency of space. An
increasing trend at law firms and other businesses is to eliminate
built-in furniture in favor of modular designs that can be set up in
a variety of configurations to meet changing needs, and can also
be moved to a new location easily, thus extending the useful life of
the furniture. Modular furniture also suits the standardization trend
in offices, so attorneys are not spending extra time and money
decorating their offices.

2. In addition to attorneys’ needs, workplace design has also changed to better serve a law firm’s support staff:
Secretarial work stations
• Interior work stations using more modular furniture are gaining popularity over built-in millwork.
• Work stations are grouped together near shared high speed printers and faxes.
• Storage systems address the need for increased capacity for active attorney files.
• Slanted workstation divider surfaces prevent stacked files and clutter at these stations.
• In/Out boxes built into the workstations provide a cleaner look.
• Receptionist areas are also becoming more productive areas with file storage since receptionists are performing other work in
addition to answering the phone.
Paralegals, data storage, libraries
• Most paralegals are in interior offices and it is becoming more accepted in some firms for them to be in work stations.
• Team culture requires more large spaces for conferencing, case rooms and litigation centers.
• Electronic libraries are reducing the need for large law libraries.
• File storage is still critical and having access to current files a necessity. Centralized file areas are replacing built-in furniture
filing systems blended in with the walls and offices. Electronic data access is gradually reducing the amount of file cabinet
drawers required by attorneys.
Support functions
• Law firms may consider relegating global support functions to less expensive or off-site space to reduce occupancy costs.
• Many support functions such as copy centers, word processing and security may be outsourced to reduce overall
operating expenses.
To achieve an optimal balance of attorney and other employee comfort, improved productivity and reduced cost, a strong understanding of
both the operations of law firms today and the complexities of space planning is required. The reward for success is a workspace that aligns
with financial and cultural goals and helps position the firm for growth.
For more information please contact:
Bella Schiro
Senior Vice President
Jones Lang LaSalle
bella.schiro@am.jll.com
+1 202 719 5834
This information is provided solely for general information purposes and is not intended as a substitute for individual legal advice.