April 8th, 2020
The Stay-At-Home Lawyer
My friends will tell you I’m a bit of a “technophobe.” I’m an old dog, and it’s getting harder and harder for me to keep up with the new tricks that come with every improvement in technology. Yet I marvel at how technology is making it possible for attorneys and other professionals to continue working through the pandemic.
Like so many others, I’ve been working from home for over a week. But, in many ways, it feels like I’m sitting in front of my office computer. Our office’s IT guru, Jeremy, has set up remote access — meaning I can access all my work files remotely from the computer in my living room. That way I can create, edit, and print any brief or other court filing I’m writing without ever leaving the house.
I’m also responsible for WVSCBog, a website kept by our firm that previews upcoming Supreme Court arguments and reviews the Court’s written opinions. I can follow everything the Supreme Court does on its website. I also have remote access to our firm’s website, which makes it possible for me to continue posting regular blogs about the Court’s work. (FYI: The Court has cancelled its oral arguments through the end of March, 2020, because of the virus, but is still very busy with its caseload.)
It’s also easy for me to keep in touch with attorneys, clients, and others using telephone, email, and other technologies. Most attorneys have stopped scheduling face-to-face depositions and other meetings. But there are many web-based technologies that make it possible to do these same things remotely. In fact, earlier this week, one of our partners successfully settled a case by participating in a virtual mediation.
Here at Bordas & Bordas, we are doing our part to fight the coronavirus outbreak. The firm’s offices will remain closed to the public until it’s safe for them to reopen. In the meantime, rest assured we are continuing to fight for our clients through the many innovative technologies available to us.
God bless you during this time!