Over the years, I’ve posted quite a bit about non-traditional office space options like co-working , on demand space and even hybrid vacation/work space. Although any one of these alternatives are suitable for lawyers, none of them are designed exclusively for lawyers.
But increasingly, co-working spaces for lawyers have been cropping up all over the country. The notion of shared offices space isn’t new per se – a 2007 ABA Journal piece on “million dollar solos” featured Florida lawyer Cheney Mason who described how he took out a long term lease in an office building, leased the space to other solos and small firms who were able to bounce ideas off each other and exchange referrals. Today’s co-working spaces employ that same principle – one of the first, Law Firm Suites touts its client referrals as one of the benefits of the space, even suggesting that added income from referrals can “take the sting out of writing the rent check.” Other spaces have their own USP’s. Venue in Dallas has membership requirements – 5 years in practice and two references, though it reserves ten spots for associate members with less than 5 years of practice. Docket in Western Massachusetts will target criminal defense and assigned lawyers who are required to have an address in Springfield. And LawBank in Denver, which just opened a second space is capitalizing on the surge of local interest in co-working spaces. Not only do these spaces include amenities that are important to lawyers, such as private conference rooms and call rooms, but they also offer iCLE and other speaking events as part of the cost of rent. Indeed, they may eventually replace many of the benefits offered by bar associations.
Even large law firms are moving away from the corner office model in favor of open work spaces with alcoves and common areas for collaboration. Big law firm Reed Smith recently adopted a practice much like co-working known as “hotelling” in its Falls Church, VA and San Francisco offices, where lawyers sit at changeable temporary work desks. The firm decided on this model after metrics showed office occupancy down on Mondays, Fridays and holidays – leaving enough open space to accommodate all lawyers on a revolving basis.
For cash-strapped lawyers starting out, co-working spaces — whether lawyer-specific or not — are a godsend, giving lawyers a professional address and a place to work out of the house without the costs associated with a traditional office such as higher rent, a long-term lease and furniture and equipment. Moreover, lawyers can use the space to meet with clients, host events and build relationships with other tenants. Coworking space can also give more experienced lawyers a way to expand their reach by opening satellite offices in different jurisdictions.
Have you ever worked in a co-working space, and if yes, what’s your experience been like?
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The two primary issues with coworking space are privacy and noise. Regarding privacy, it’s very difficult to handle a call at your desk, so you either have to plan your calls, or do everything via mobile phone (which means you spend the entire phone call shouting “what?? what??? I lost your signal!!”). You also can’t leave documents out on your desk when you aren’t there, and you have to be mindful of what’s on your computer screen. At night, you have to take everything with you, or lock it up.
Regarding noise, have you ever wondered why all those people in fun, collaborative workspaces are wearing headphones? It’s because they can’t concentrate on their work. They are tuning out their neighbors. People are more productive when they have private office space. Cubicles are a distant second. The typical cowork space open desk is third, or maybe even fourth, behind working on the subway.
I work in a co-working space that has private space available for phone calls. And I often will do calls after hours.
The cowork space I used for the first year of my solo practice had private phone rooms, too. That was good if I had a call scheduled or was making an outgoing call, but it doesn’t really work for those random incoming calls. Also, the walls were paper thin.