Working from home has been thrust upon us all, and every part of our legal system has been deeply affected by the need to operate online. How should you navigate these changes? To help lawyers understand the new landscape created by COVID-19, Florida Bar Podcast hosts Christine Bilbrey and Karla Eckardt welcome three guests, Judge Robert Hilliard, Rebecca Bandy, and Jack Newton, to hear their valuable perspectives on remote work for the legal profession.

First, Judge Robert Hilliard of Florida’s First Judicial Circuit shares how the judiciary has operated in the era of social distancing and what technology they have used to make the shift to virtual court proceedings. Judge Hilliard offers lawyers insights on how to navigate online court appearances and discusses what judicial operations may look like in the future.

Following this conversation, Christine and Karla are joined by Rebecca Bandy, director of the Florida Bar’s Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism, to discuss strategies for maintaining high professionalism standards while working from home. Rebecca shares common lawyer mishaps in virtual legal practice and offers best practice tips for maintaining privacy, confidentiality, proper video conference etiquette, and more.

For their final interview, Christine and Karla talk with Clio CEO Jack Newton about how new, tech-driven processes can improve client experiences and make legal services more efficient. Jack also outlines Clio’s resources for helping lawyers deliver legal services from home and digs into what the COVID-19 Impact Research Briefing shows about the current state of the profession.

Finally, make sure your workspace is working for you! Christine and Karla share their tips for creating a comfortable, productive workspace in your home office.

This episode, The Science of Working from Home (Course # 4041), has been approved by The Florida Bar Continuing Legal Education Department for the following CLE credits:

• General - 2.0 hrs
• Technology - 1.0 hrs
• Mental Health Awareness - 1.0 hrs

Links Mentioned in Today’s Podcast:

Florida Courts 

• Florida Courts Technology Commission 
• Workgroup on the Continuity of Court Operations and Proceedings During and After COVID-19

Henry Latimer Center for Professionalism

• https://www.floridabar.org/prof/
• Legal Professionalism in the Electronic Age (media.floridabar.org/uploads/2020/05/Legal-Professionalism-in-the-Electronic-Age.pdf">PDF Download)

Clio Resources:

• Clio.com
• Legal Trends Reports