Many associates at law firms complain that their bosses expect them to bill practically around the clock, forcing them to all but live at the office. So a number of local law firms are undergoing a technological transformation allowing them to take the office home with them.

That way, they really can work round the clock.

With clients demanding faster turnaround times, and most firms increasing both salaries and billing requirements this year, implementing new technologies that provide flexibility has become crucial.

“It’s important to provide the means for attorneys to be productive away from the office, whether that’s because they choose to work at home, or they’re traveling, or trying a case in a courthouse that’s some distance from their home office,” said John Niles, chair of the technology committee at O’Melveny & Meyers LLP.

“It’s about allowing people to be more flexible and more productive by giving them the tools to do work from wherever they may be, while they might have had to come into the office before,” Niles said. “I think lots of firms are going in the same direction we are.”

Indeed they are. Many firms are overhauling their computer systems, setting up high-speed connections to the company’s network from anywhere in the world. Virtual private networks, which are exploding in use throughout different industries, are becoming the standard for law firms.

VPNs vs. dial-up networks

Lawyers at Troop Steuber Pasich Reddick & Tobey LLP just got their first taste of a virtual private network, with a VPN test run slated to begin late last week. Before the VPN, they dialed into a 1-800 number to access the company’s network, where they can read e-mail and access firm documents and libraries. Through the 1-800 number, they connected to one of a series of modems that hooked directly to the company’s private network, bypassing the Internet.

Modem connections are secure because they are technically similar to a telephone call, but they can be painfully slow when large documents must be downloaded.

A virtual private network will allow Troop Steuber lawyers to connect to the network through the Internet, at speeds limited only by the type of connection used by the remote computer. VPNs are heavily encrypted with software to maintain security over sensitive documents.

That’s not all the firm is doing. The brand-new Microsoft Office 2000 is already available for installation on attorneys’ home computers. The firm’s technology committee has priced home computers for attorneys, but has not made a final decision on whether to purchase them. And it is discussing providing its attorneys with standard Internet service, to provide uniformity so that the firm only has to deal with one company for service and maintenance issues.

Such changes are necessary in today’s working environment, the firm believes.

“Client expectations for prompt turnaround have escalated from when I started here 23 years ago,” said Thomas Glen Leo, chairman of the technology committee at Troop Steuber. “Secondly, attorneys kind of expect the flexibility we’re providing them.”

Overnight or two-day delivery was fast, then faxing was faster, and now e-mail provides almost instantaneous communication between attorneys and clients, meaning that people generally expect work to be done faster than they did before, Leo explained.

Giving more flexibility to attorneys can help alleviate the long days they normally have to spend at the office, particularly during major cases or while preparing for pending trials. Plus, many firms increased starting salaries for attorneys this year, to compete with the lure of pre-IPO Internet companies; in conjunction with those increases, many firms raised the requirements for the number of hours attorneys must bill. With faster connections, they can at least do the billing from home.

Office away from the office

Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP launched its version of a virtual private network in January, and has already seen the benefits.

“We don’t have people who work full-time from home, but we do have people who connect to our network up to 40 hours a week, after hours or on the weekend,” said Mary Odson, the firm’s technology officer. “Whether they have child care issues or are waiting for the repair man, they’re able to still work easily.”

O’Melveny & Myers plans to launch its virtual private network in the first quarter of next year, Niles said. Remaining issues revolve around making sure the network is completely secure.

The firm’s current system is not Internet-based, so attorneys who want to connect to the network from a remote location must dial a long-distance telephone number in order to gain access. Plus, an attorney who wants to connect must use a computer with the proper remote access software. “VPN is a logical progression in making that remote access simpler, faster, and better,” Niles said.

O’Melveny & Myers weighed sponsoring the installation of DSL connections in its attorneys’ homes, but will not do so for the time being.

“Homes are only one place where attorneys might wish to have access,” Niles explained. “(Our VPN) will be available to attorneys anywhere they have access to the Internet: on their own computer, at a client’s (office), at kiosks that are springing up at airports.”

Other firms, however, are going so far as to install high-speed DSL or cable lines in attorneys’ homes.

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP plans to install DSL connections that run directly from homes to the office, in conjunction with a virtual private network, according to Managing Partner Richard Brunette Jr. “With DSL, we’ll have a lot more speed and flexibility,” he said. “The experience will be virtually identical to being in your own office.”

A group of attorneys at Jeffer, Mangels, Butler, & Marmaro LLP is currently testing the company’s new virtual private network along with DSL and cable connections. “We have not rolled it out to all the users yet,” said Vince Klein, information systems director for the firm. “We’re testing it, and will be bringing up more of the security features.”