HOW are we supposed to keep our feet on the ground when our work life is literally “in the cloud?” Many lawyers, especially the younger ones, have long touted the idea of working from home or other remote locations. I’ve stubbornly clung to my compartmentalized vision of life and law practice – work at work, and be
home at home. Leaving work at work was always something my significant other appreciated. Today, of course, home is home and work is at home. Every day. I’m working in my home office without colleagues, staff, and the comforts of our barely one-year old new office space in the heart of mid-town Phoenix. No dogs or kids, but the land line rings with phone solicitations (as does my cell phone these days), the yard crews do their work and I am left to wonder - Is this the new normal our younger colleagues have hoped for? Is it growing on me? Hmm.
I must confess that I know myself well enough to have predicted what I miss about working in an office environment. Collegiality. Collaboration. Eye contact. Two people talking at the same time (a non-zoom thing). The feeling of working together to accomplish something. The ability to monitor the business of our firm, from staff productivity to providing positive reinforcement and recognition to others. Singing in the hallways. Encountering a colleague in the break room getting coffee and catching up in an unplanned, non “here’s-the-link” way.
Yet, the work must get done. The work is as compelling as I can remember. Family businesses on the line. Unpaid creditors. Unpaid landlords. Clients new and longstanding looking for reassurance in an instantly changing legal and business environment. And the pervasive enemy of most of their calmness and comfort
In This Issue
From the President....................4
Class 32 Nominations...............5
From the Foundation Chair......6
Pro Bono Update........................7
Lending a Helping Hand?.........8
Doing The Splits.........................9
Pre-Pandemic 9th Circuit Retreat........................................10
Focus on Fellows......................24
Class 31 Fun Facts....................25
Meet the Class 31 Fellows.....26
2020 Patrons & Sponsors......28
2020 Foundation Donation....................................32
In Memoriam............................32
Columns XWords.....................33
Save the Date.......................... 34
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From the Colum…nist…..
Virtually at Work
Steven N. Berger, Engelman Berger, P.C.
Co-Editor, College Columns