December in New York, Year-end for Lawyers

In Big Law America, there is no better month than December. The year is coming to a close, people take time off for the holidays, its perpetual darkness, it’s cold — the last thing anyone wants to do is work. So they don’t!

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Against the backdrop of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the events of 2020 brought new challenges no one was prepared for, changing the way we live and how we connect with each other. With one month to go, the worst is yet to come: the escalating coronavirus surge in the United States is likely to be the most trying event in U.S. history, warned White House coronavirus response coordinator, Dr. Deborah Birx, and a return to lockdowns can be expected.

Coronavirus, Year-End Reviews, Law School enrollments, Big Law bonuses and work-from-home, here’s what’s happening in New York City in December.

1. Coronavirus in New York

New cases of COVID-19 in NYC on December 6

As of December 6, 2020, there have been at least 332,633 cases and 24,346 deaths in New York City since the beginning of the pandemic, according to a New York Times database.

With more than 3,500 New Yorkers hospitalized for Covid-19, Governor Andrew Cuomo has unveiled a 5-point ‘winter plan’ to combat Covid-19 in New York.

Enhanced testing, K-8 in-person learning, a public education campaign on small gatherings and vaccine distribution are on the table, but Cuomo did not rule out another statewide pause, similar to the shutdown he ordered this spring and a scenario states such as California are now reliving in response to autumnal surges.

2. Recovery in Law Firms

Litigation cases involving COVID-19 in NY

The recovery is not near for law firms. A mix of layoffs and hiring will continue through 2021, experts and firm leaders say, as the industry absorbs lessons learned in the pandemic.

However, the number of litigation cases involving COVID-19 is booming. Hunton Andrews Kurth’s COVID-19 Complaint Tracker is a comprehensive database of state and federal litigation involving COVID-19 claims and the least we can say is that some lawyers will still be billing in 2021.

3. Work from Home

U.S. Labor Work working from home

0 %

Some of the country’s biggest corporations have announced that work-from-home will continue until July 2021. But law firms are sticking to an “incremental” approach.

Representatives for several large firms polled on the subject said remote work would be welcomed at least through the end of 2020. But none indicated they were following the lead of these businesses and committing to allow employees to work from home until next summer.

As COVID-19 cases are now surging, some law firms are halting plans to encourage a return to the office, but with news surrounding vaccine, this could not last.

4. Trial Practice

trials in 9 months in NYC courts

With the coronavirus pandemic, many trials have been postponed and some courthouses are still closed. This is the case for small claims courts who have not processed a single claim since February.

Yet again, the New York State court system has indefinitely halted most proceedings that require in-person appearances after a surge in coronavirus cases across various courthouses.

All future bench trials and hearings will be conducted virtually, per a memo issued by Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence Marks.

5. Year-End Bonuses

Average Law Firm Bonus

$ 0

Law firms have been divided in how they are responding financially to the economic upheaval caused by the coronavirus, especially when it comes to bonuses.

In an internal memo obtained by The American Lawyer, Paul Weiss chair Brad Karp said that after “careful consideration,” the firm would maintain its normal December bonus schedule, a decision that many other large law firm seem to have followed.

6. A “RBG” Effect?

law school applicants, in comparison to 2019

+ 0 %

This is the year for admissions officers to worry about enrollments, but law school applications are surging, and while the application cycle is not over yet, the numbers have officials encouraged.

“In a year when we’ve been desperate for some good news, it’s heartening to see that the increase in law school applicants is across the board, with almost every ABA-approved law school seeing a jump. And while there are reasons to be optimistic, we’d caution against premature exuberance. While many are speculating about an “RBG Effect,” which to be fair, could be a contributing factor, the increase we are seeing right now is more likely a simple result of timing.” Jeff Thomas, Kaplan’s executive director of legal programs.

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New York in 2021

To say that this year has seen major disruption in the law firm world is a gross understatement. But law firms in general, and Big Law in particular, have responded to the pandemic in spectacular fashion.

As the coronavirus has ruptured personal and professional life, it has also presented an opportunity for young lawyers to evaluate the future they want for themselves.

We do not know what the future holds but the workplace in 2021 will still probably include workforce flexibility, work-from-home and probably more competitivity.