News from the Desk: July 2014

My third published column of the “Virtual Truth” series I am writing for the American Bar Association’s GP Solo eReport describes how to develop a virtual team. I thought I would share it, as it provides tips that apply to any virtual business – not just a law firm. The first half of this column is set forth below:

Since opening my virtual law firm in 1999, I’ve found that, more than any other component of running a small business, developing an effective virtual team has proved challenging. After many mistakes and hard-learned lessons, along with some sleepless nights and occasional painful dramas, my current remote team consistently achieves high marks. Each person fulfills a defined function on our team and contributes positively to the team’s collaboration, work flow, and perhaps most importantly, strong sense of collegiality and commitment despite the lack of daily in-person communication.My remote team currently consists of an office administrator, administrative assistant, paralegal, and two Of Counsel attorneys. I am the only full-time member of the team (and, as anyone who manages a small law firm knows, the term “full-time” generally extends well beyond a standard 40-hour work week!). My office administrator and administrative assistant job share one full-time administrative position. My paralegal and one Of Counsel Attorney work half time, and the second Of Counsel Attorney works one quarter time. Each member of my team chooses her own unique work schedule based on her individual life circumstances, including additional work commitments, family commitments, personal interests, and time spent giving back to the community. Although previously I’ve had male team members and worked with team members from out-of-state, my current team is all-female and local to the Seattle area.

To illustrate the nuances of staffing a virtual business, let me present two imaginary workers: Joe Average and Vanda Virtual.

Joe Average, a worker in a brick-and-mortar law firm, typically arrives at his nine-to-five job each Monday morning wearing an appropriate business-casual outfit. Joe greets the receptionist, several attorneys, and his secretary on his way to the break room to pour his daily cup of coffee. They exchange humorous stories about their weekend activities, and also discuss several significant work issues that they’ll be facing over the coming week. During the day, Joe personally interacts with his co-workers numerous times on both a personal and professional level, including attending several in-person meetings and enjoying lunch with a colleague. He leaves his office at approximately five o’clock, dreading his one-hour commute but looking forward to dinner with his family and a good night’s rest.Vanda Virtual, a worker in a virtual law office, enjoys her work and loves her second job as the lead singer for the Seattle band Meat Market Surfers. She spends about twenty hours a week with the band including rehearsals, road trips, and late-night gigs. Each Monday morning, Vanda usually wakes up at about 10 a.m. She eats breakfast, exercises, showers, and then by 1 p.m. is ready to go to work. Wearing ripped jeans and a gray T-shirt, Vanda opens the door to the spare bedroom that serves as her office, and settles in for a six-hour workday.  By 7 p.m., Vanda needs to sign off so she can make it to the band’s evening rehearsal.In all likelihood, if Joe Average worked in a virtual environment, he would feel isolated and miss the daily routine and personal interaction with his colleagues. And, in all probability, if Vanda Virtual worked in a traditional brick-and-mortar job, she would feel confined due to her long commute, set hours, professional dress requirements, and the fact that her lifestyle significantly contrasts with that of her co-workers.Of course, in real life, the lines between Joe Average and Vanda Virtual tend to be blurred and often difficult to discern. In order to develop an effective virtual team, you need to recognize that a virtual workplace contrasts dramatically with a brick-and-mortar office. Many candidates who may seem ideal on paper will simply wither and die in a virtual environment. Others will blossom. As a law firm owner, in addition to spending the time to ensure that potential team members possess the requisite skill sets, you need to spend an equal amount of time determining, to the best of your ability, whether the applicant can successfully transition to and thrive within a virtual environment.

The second Of Counsel attorney to join my team, Sherry Bosse Lueders, boasts a highly competitive resume including having attended superior schools, earned top grades, and successfully completed her clerkship with a highly respected King County Superior Court judge. Sherry participates significantly in various Bar groups and stands committed to providing pro bono services. Sherry also enjoys her role as parent of her two-year-old son and found that the strenuous billable requirements and the need for physical presence (a.k.a. “face time”) imposed by most Seattle brick-and-mortar law firms stifled her ability to fully engage as a parent. Recognizing the dearth of part-time law jobs in Seattle, Sherry took the initiative of starting her own law firm and spent a year gaining additional legal skills and business acumen prior to becoming a part of my team.Every member of my team offers a different version of the same story. Each is a highly talented and attractive candidate—the type of person that most brick-and-mortar law firms would covet. However, for various reasons, including but not limited to parenting responsibilities, each team member thrives best in a virtual environment because of the opportunities afforded to achieve professional success while realizing other meaningful personal goals. By allowing people to work virtually, and according them flexibility in choosing a part-time work schedule, a virtual law firm often has its pick of the region’s top talents.I would love to hear your questions and comments.

Stacey Romberg

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