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Why practising law lends itself to being in an office
It is vital for legal professionals to deliver their services in person to clients and leverage workspaces to develop trust and offer emotional support, according to this executive.
Malavika Santhebennur
Clarence Professional Offices director Tony Jansz (pictured) remarked that “the pendulum is still swinging” between employees working from home and working in the office.
This is because legal professionals not only provide their clients with technical expertise but also offer emotional support, which requires them to build trust.
While refraining from stating that it was a lawyer’s “duty” to work from their office, Mr Jansz reiterated that legal professionals are required to develop rapport with clients, especially as many of them approach lawyers with a pressing issue and, as such, are distressed.
“I think I feel more comfortable meeting my lawyer face to face than speaking to them over Zoom,” Mr Jansz said.
It also assists law firms with the onboarding of new recruits, he added in an episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show.
Clarence Professional Offices provides serviced office space and co-working facilities to the legal sector. This allows professionals to meet with clients and collaborate with their colleagues and other legal professionals.
Mr Jansz said his members stayed in the office longer and returned sooner than corporate Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While legal professionals carry out client-facing work face to face in the office, they work from home to undertake administrative tasks and contemplate legal matters, he noted.
“We’re seeing our members in the office between three to four days a week,” Mr Jansz said.
“That is very conducive to the concept of flexible offices, where we provide that level of flexibility for lawyers to come in and spend time with their colleagues and clients.”
Mr Jansz said he is a firm believer that humans are social beings who desire interacting with others.
“There’s only so many Zoom calls you can do,” he said.
“I know I’ll do lots of Zoom calls. Then, when I meet that person, it’s just a richer experience.”
Clarence has designed a workplace, Mr Jansz said, that replicates the culture of a law firm.
“We want our lawyer members to feel proud that when their clients come in to see them, they reflect their own culture,” he said.
“We’re an extension of your brand, of your positioning in the market, and the level of professionalism in our meeting rooms, in our IT, and our support.
“In summary, we still believe that people need to spend time with people, both their own teams as well as their clients, and we try our best to provide that.”
Lawyers are outstanding in their area of specialisation but often require support and input from lawyers in other disciplines, Mr Jansz said.
For example, a family lawyer can service a client undergoing a divorce settlement but may need assistance with conveyancing if the client is also facing a property dispute with the spouse.
“To get onto Zoom and do that remotely is inefficient,” Mr Jansz said.
“But to be able to speak to a property lawyer three doors down … [or] a commercial lawyer looking at a complex case can speak to other commercial lawyers. So, the importance and the natural co-weaving of lawyers between practices and disciplines is a very natural thing to do. [It’s] very difficult to do when you’re sitting at home by yourself.”
To listen to the full episode with Tony Jansz, click here:
