Virtual Law Firms

I had heard about virtual law firms a while back and have remained intrigued by the idea ever since. I envision a lawyer working from his or her remote location, wired up to the max. This person is equipped with a laptop and desktop (in which one can easy load all work from the latter to the former), security protection galore, a solid backup and archiving system, metadata removal software, reliable case management and billing software. The fax and the phone are close by. Virtual conferences are at one's disposal. Educational opportunities or CLE requirements are easily met thanks to webinars and teleseminars. Filing requirements can be met with e-filing, if one's jurisdiction offers this option. As for meetings with opposing counsel, who says you have to meet in person? Many state rules are probably silent on this matter. Discovery and pre-trial conferences can adjourn over the telephone.

One question looms. How does one meet with clients, and regardless, would any client contact short of an in-person meeting violate any ethical duties owed to a client? If not, how do clients feel about a lawyer with whom they only communicate virtually, perhaps even only virtually (is the initial meeting in person?). If so, what type of client or client matters would be amenable to this arrangement? These questions remain unanswered for me and probably for many of us. I imagine there must be some in-person contact, other than potential trial preparation.

Rainmaking must be interesting. Some potential clients won't like the concept of a virtual office because it might undermine their image of the attorney as competent or credible. This is because clients will not have the opportunity to interact with the attorney spontaneously in which the client may gauge the attorney's comfort level with the subject matter (often a sign of experience) and reactions that can only be conveyed by body language or, at the very least, inflection of voice. These are both impossible using an electronic medium (other than a telephone or second-life). As an example, imagine the difference between a virtual versus non-virtual new attorney who admits that the matter is new to him or her but assures the client that he or she is charged with the same level of client representation and competentcy as any attorney and thanks them for having the opportunity to represent the client. A client who hears this in person might react very differently than one who hears this through an email communication. So then maybe a virtual law firm is better suited for an experienced lawyer.

I think virtual law firms sound like a great idea, and one I would consider for myself, but I need more information. As the internet matures from its teenage years into early adulthood, we will hear more about virtual work spaces. This is only the beginning.