📢 Webinar announcement: 23/03/2023
"How a shorter working week can work in law"
This Thursday, 23 March, I will be speaking at a virtual panel event hosted by the Work Time Reduction Center of Excellence. My fellow guests are representatives of two law firms that are true pioneers when it comes to the 4 day working week in the legal sector. It promises to be an interesting discussion for those who are wondering how a shorter working week could work for lawyers.
Date: Thursday 23 March 2023
Time: 3pm GMT / 11am EST / 8am PST
Register here to join the event.
In case you missed it: Last week I wrote an article for the Law Society Gazette, arguing that now is the time for lawyers to embrace the 4-day week. The article generated a lot of interest, but one reader comment stood out for me:
“I find the comments in this article fascinating.
In recent years I have encountered in various law firms 'burn outs', mistakes, potential negligence claims, and even more dramatically for the law firms affected, 'walk outs' where a fee earner has simply snapped.
What strikes me most vividly about the idea of a '4-day lawyer' is that the lawyer by practising on this basis is sending out a message to the world that he or she will decide when they practise. They are in control.
So, I wholly concur in the idea that a well balanced lawyer is likely to be a much more productive one.
Nobody qualified to be part of the legal services equivalent of a meat grinder.”
Balance, wellbeing, autonomy and trust are not only great for individual lawyers in a profession that can be unforgiving, but they also have a positive impact on client service. It’s easy to forget this when the focus is on the potential disadvantages of “losing” a working day.
The 4 Day Lawyer will be back next week with a regular scheduled monthly post. We’ll be marking Women’s History Month by celebrating women as the original 4 day week pioneers.
The fine print:
All opinions expressed in The 4 Day Lawyer are my own and not those of my current or former employers. My 4 day working week is an individual arrangement and is not associated with the UK’s 4 day working week pilot. This newsletter is an opinion piece and does not constitute legal advice or create any kind of solicitor/client relationship; please consult with a qualified professional if you need advice on a legal issue.