Flex Schedules: Coming Soon to a Firm Near You
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Good news! The billable hour might be on its way out. Well, maybe... at least according to The American Lawyer article, Lawyers, Pros Say Flex Schedule's Time Has Come, which states "Lawyers won't have to be slaves to the billable hour for much longer."
Why the sudden urgency for flex schedules? There are at least three explanations.
(1) Retiring baby boomer lawyers.
(2) Generation X and Y want more. They want "a different life" (than that had by the previous generation), says a lawyer quoted in the article.
(3) Competition. Deborah Epstein Henry, founder and president of Flex-Time Lawyers is quoted as saying, "We are driving change through competition."
Not all lawyers are convinced that the profession will respond urgently to the interest and need for flex scheduling. The fact that part-time scheduling options have long said to exist at many firms, but are rarely pursued by lawyers, may potentially be a strike against quick change.
Your turn...please chime in.... If your firm offered flex schedules (without any career penalty) would you seize the opportunity?
Related Reading:
Staying at Home, Staying in the Law: A Guide to Remaining Active in the Legal Profession While Pursuing Your Dreams (American Bar Association, July 2008).
© 2008 Darling Hill. All Rights Reserved.
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