The long experiment in remote lawyering is running out of time. After years of relaxed attendance policies, some of America’s biggest law firms are calling their attorneys back — four days a week, minimum.
Cooley, Goodwin Procter, and Dechert have all announced new in-office mandates set to kick in early next year, marking a definitive turn away from the pandemic-era flexibility that once redefined the legal workplace.
“The pendulum is absolutely swinging back toward in-person time,” observed one Washington-based legal recruiter, describing a clear industry shift toward physical presence.
The rationale? Collaboration, mentorship, and culture — the intangible benefits that many partners argue can’t thrive through screens. But not everyone’s cheering. Recruiters note that some lawyers, long accustomed to home offices and digital courtrooms, may look for firms that still offer flexibility. A handful — including Quinn Emanuel, Husch Blackwell, and Fennemore Craig — are holding the line on remote options, even using them as a lure for restless talent.
Still, the momentum is hard to ignore. In New York and other major markets, firms that once embraced fluid schedules are firming up their expectations.
Goodwin Procter, for instance, will require lawyers in the U.S. and UK to be in the office Monday through Thursday starting January 5 — a step up from its current three-day rule. Leadership framed the move as essential to sustaining “strong relationships” and “frequent in-person collaboration.”
Cooley, which famously scrapped office mandates in 2022, is also reining things in. Starting January 1, attorneys in the U.S. and Europe will return to the office four days a week — a sharp reversal for a firm that once symbolized flexibility.
At Dechert, the rules are tiered: junior lawyers and business staff will clock four days in-office beginning February 2, while more senior associates and counsel get a three-day minimum. Partners, however, were already expected to lead by example with four in-person days each week.
“When together, we collaborate better, our junior members grow faster, and our clients see stronger results,” Dechert’s co-chairs said in a statement.
Across the industry, the message is clear: remote freedom was a season, not a standard. The brief digital revolution in Big Law is giving way to something much more traditional — the familiar rhythm of city offices, shared conference tables, and the daily return of the suited and briefcased.
